ReiSenzai Inc
by Juura99
Summary: Sasuke is part of a group that specialises in the supernatural. When they are called to investigate an orphanage that has experienced some strange events, things might just get a bit deadly! Full summary inside. SasuNaru/yaoi/ghosts/O.C's/ AU
1. ReiSenzai Inc, how can we help you?

**Hey there! So, this is my attempt at a supernatural/horror/romance/humour fic. Here's the full summary:**

**Uchiha Sasuke is a member of Rei-Senzai (or Spirit Cleanser) Inc. And what's more is he doens't believe in ghosts or the supernatural. However, when him and his team are called to an old orphanage out in the country side to investigate strange goings on, he may just change his beliefs. There is something menacing in the old mansion/orphanage, and it's threatening the lives of the residents, including the blue-eyed blonde Uzumaki Nartuo, who Sasuke can't help but be drawn to. Can Sasuke and his team help them, or will the meancing presence in the house bring them all to a horrible end?**

**Warnings: Yaoi, duh. This is a SasuNaru. Don't like, then kindly GET LOST! Also, swearing, ghosts and supernatural events, some angst, Mizuru(if you've read my other story Accomplishments you will understand why this is a warning) possible character death, overly creepy O.C's and a perverted Itachi and Kakashi( no they aren't a pair, they're just perverts.) and future LEMONS!(I'm a Kakashinite/Jiraiyanite...so yeah, I'm very perverted at times!)  
**

**Disclaimer: The voices say that I own Naruto. The lawyers say I don't. I'm so confused! But the voices don't have a piece of paper to back them up, so I'm siding with the lawyers for now.**

**Anyway, all that aside, I hope you enjoy!  
**

* * *

"Words"

'_Thoughts' _

_Dreams_

**

* * *

Chapter 1: Rei-Senzai Inc. How can we help you?**

A pale, raven haired teen entered the large apartment and threw his bag down by the door. He took off his shoes, placing them neatly by the door before making his way down the hallway to the lounge.

It was deserted when he arrived. He figured he must have been the first one to arrive that day. Deciding it was a golden opportunity to catch up on some sleep, he lay on the couch and got comfortable.

He closed his eyes and relished the silence around him. When the edges of sleep were creeping up to him, he let a small sigh escape.

"SASUKE!"

His momentary peace was shattered viciously when something large and heavy landed on his stomach, effectively winding him. He grunted and fell from the couch along with the being that dared to disrupt his moment.

"Ugh, Dammit Kiba! What the hell was that for?" he growled, rubbing his abdomen. The boy beside him grinned cheekily. His shaggy brown hair was slightly wet from the light drizzle of rain outside, and the red, triangular tattoos on his cheeks were glistening.

"I didn't get a lot of sleep last night, so I decided you couldn't sleep either." The brunette said happily. He laughed when Sasuke threw a couch cushion at him angrily.

"My, aren't you two just full of energy."

They turned to the doorway to see a man with gravity defying silver hair and a mask covering his lower face. His left eye was hidden behind his bangs, and his right was curved upwards in a smile.

"Hey Kakashi! How's it going?" Kiba stood excitedly, waving to the man.

Kakashi shrugged and went over to the nearest computer. The lounge was actually more of a resting area/ office. There were several couches scattered around, as well as a few coffee tables and such. Against the right wall there were three long tables pushed close together. Three computers were set upon them, and on the areas between them were folders, posters, documents and other office type stuff.

"Is there any work? Do we have a new job yet?" Kiba asked, grabbing the cushion at his feet and tossing it back onto the couch. Kakashi hummed and started checking the emails. After a moment, his eye widened a bit.

"It would seem we do. Someone contacted Lee's email asking for help." The silver haired man told them. Sasuke perked up at this.

Ah, yes yes, you are probably a bit confused? Of course. Allow me to explain. Sasuke was a part of a small company called Rei-Senzai Inc. Or, Spirit-Cleanser Inc.

They were a group that dealt with, as the name suggested, spirits. If someone suspected their home, the home of another, or a building they knew of to have supernatural activity, they were there to confirm or refute it, and take care of any supernatural problems that may arise.

In other words, they were like the ghost busters, only a lot more subtle and they don't wear jumpsuits.

Yet. You couldn't be too sure with their leader.

The leader and founder was Hatake Kakashi. Sasuke's older brother Itachi was like the second in command, as he had contacts with people who could be useful during a job.

Kiba was useful for any sort of brute force needed during a job, as he was hyperactive and strong. He was also the best one to handle situations with animal spirits, as he seemed in tune with animals more than others. Hell, sometimes Sasuke was sure the guy scratched his ears with his foot. It was a bit unnerving.

Other members included Hyuuga Neji and Hyuuga Hinata, Neji's younger cousin. The two were members of a clan known for its psychic abilities. They were able to communicate with spirits, and were in charge of finding out what the spirits wanted if they were even there.

Then there was Aburame Shino, Nara Shikamaru and Tachibana Tenten, the technical crew. They handled all the machinery and devices used during a job. Also, there was Akimichi Chouji, who was in charge of meals during a job.

Then there was Rock Lee, who had studied cleansing rituals with a monk in Tibet for the first ten years of his life. He was, of course, in charge of cleansing spirits who were at unrest.

The last two were Haruno Sakura and Yamanaka Ino, the receptionists/assistants. They were rather recent additions.

Sasuke had also only joined recently, and you could pretty much say he was the sceptic and the one who dealt with the victims whose reports of 'ghostly activity' were nothing but figments of their imaginations.

Or, as Kiba, Kakashi, Itachi and Itachi's close friends called it, he had the 'Bastard Job'.

"Hello my most youthful friends!" a loud voice called from the hallway. Sasuke turned to watch as Lee came skipping-yes, _skipping_- into the hall. He was wearing a green tracksuit...again. Did that boy know about the other colours in the world? Sometimes, Sasuke doubted it.

"Ah, Lee. Perfect timing. A contact of yours sent us an email. Can you check it over?" Kakashi said. Lee's eyes brightened and he shot to the silver haired man's side in an instant, eyes raking over the email eagerly.

While he read, the rest of the crew came in. Sasuke greeted Neji and Hinata as they sat down, and they returned it with a silent nod.

And then Neji and Sasuke started their usual glaring contest.

After all, Neji was the psychic, and Sasuke was the sceptic. They were natural enemies.

"Sasuke!"

Said raven flinched when two blurs of pink and yellow latched onto his arms. Neji smirked at the raven's discomfort and turned to talk to Tenten. Kiba was chatting away to Hinata, who only blushed and nodded.

Sasuke looked down at the two R.A's (A/N: Receptionists/ Assistants). Ino and Sakura were glaring at each other, silently telling the other to back off.

Neither relented.

"Well, well, little brother. Is this the routine for your mornings?" said a deep voice. Sasuke glared over his shoulder at Itachi, who walked into the room followed by his friends Hoshigaki Kisame and Akasuna Sasori.

"Shut up Itachi."

"How mean. You break my heart." Itachi said, turning his head away in mock sadness. Sasuke snorted.

"You actually need a heart before it can be broken." He said. Itachi smirked and sat down.

"You do have a point there. Never mind then." Kisame snickered while Sasori remained expressionless. He was too busy playing with the small puppet in his hands.

"You know, those things are just creepy." Kisame said, nodding at the wooden contraption. Sasori gared at him, his red hair falling across his eyes a bit. Kisame laughed nervously and ran a hand through his blue hair. He had a thing for that colour, and was even wearing a blue shirt and dark blue jeans. Even his skin seemed to be tinged blue.

Sasuke found him creepy and fishlike. He even had sharp teeth!

"Let go, _Forehead_!"

"No, you let go, _Pig_!"

Sasuke sighed and returned his attention to his current predicament. Sakura, whose pink hair was hanging limply over her shoulders was glaring daggers at Ino, whose long blonde hair was tied back in a ponytail. He cleared his throat and they both turned to him, anger forgotten and smiles on their faces.

"Yes, Sasuke?" they asked sweetly. He shuddered inwardly.

"I'd like my arms back now." Said sternly, and roughly shook them off before going over to Kakashi and Lee. He ignored their whines.

Fan girls. Annoying, but they could be downright scary sometimes.

"This is a most youthful day _indeed_! Everyone, listen up! My most youthful mentor has sent me a youth filled cry of distress! It would seem that the orphanage where he works has been experiencing several supernatural events! The poor youthful souls in that building have grown terrified and are in need of our youthful services! And we, as youthful beings must offer our most yo-"

"Lee, if you say the word 'youthful' one more time I'm going to kick you." Tenten threatened, and Lee fell silent immediately.

Kakashi eye-smiled and stood up, clapping his hands.

"Alright everyone, it seems we've got work. The orphanage is located out in the country, so it's going to be a stay over job. We'll leave tomorrow at 8:00 am sharp! So, you've got tonight to pack things up. I'm not sure how long we'll be there, as they aren't sure whether there is more than one ghost or not. I'll phone your schools and explain, so don't worry about that."

Kiba whooped happily.

"Yes! Now I don't have to do that test on Friday! Score!" he exclaimed happily.

"You will still do the test. Why? Because when you get back, they will make you stay after school to write it." Shino said in his deep baritone voice. Kiba's face fell and slumped back with a groan. Hinata awkwardly patted his shoulder in comfort.

"I-it's alright K-Kiba." She stuttered. He sent half-hearted smile her way, but the gloom of having the test marred it.

"Well, good luck for your job. But I gotta go." Kisame said and he stood up. Itachi grabbed his wrist before he could leave the room, however.

"You're not coming on the job?" the older raven asked. Kisame shook his head.

"Nah, I've got an important exam coming up, and I can't afford to be distracted. Unlike you, I need to study ahead of time. I don't know the stuff after reading the book once." He said, scowling at the Uchiha's intelligence. Itachi nodded and let go of his wrist, turning to Sasori.

"Will you be coming along?"

"No. I'm not a field agent. You know that. I'm better off pulling the strings from this end." The red head said in his soft voice. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Did you have to use a saying that was related to puppets?" he asked. Sasori looked at him before giving a creepy smile.

"Of course."

Sasuke sighed and turned back to the screen. There was a picture of the orphanage attached with the directions. It looked like a classic, big, creepy haunted house that you see in old horror films.

"Oh sure, why would a bunch of little children think _this _place is haunted? It's absolutely _cheerful_." He drawled sarcastically. Kakashi sniggered but carried on typing a reply.

"Maa, maa. We're going to get paid whether there's a ghost or not. So no complaints, ne?" he said. Sasuke smirked.

That was one of the only reasons he really stayed in this place. That and the fact Itachi had talked him into it.

* * *

"Sasuke, have you packed your bag yet?" Itachi called from the kitchen. Sasuke looked over at the bulky rucksack he'd prepared sitting next to the door.

"Yes, Itachi. I'm prepared." He answered and went back to reading. After a few minutes, the door to his bedroom opened to reveal Itachi standing there with dinner.

"Are you excited for tomorrow?" the older raven asked, sitting on the edge of the bed and handing Sasuke his plate. Sasuke scoffed as he took the offered food.

"Why? It's probably just another bust. The place looks like one of those really old dumps. People, young children especially, tend to think those types of places are haunted when in truth they are not. I don't think we've ever come across an old house that was haunted. All the places that have had something vaguely unnatural have all been new." He commented.

Itachi nodded, taking a bite of rice. He turned a thoughtful face on Sasuke, who noticed and cringed.

"What?" he asked defensively.

"I'm just wondering why you're so sceptical of the supernatural. We've been exposed to it, so you know there isn't always a logical explanation. So why do you still say ghosts are fake and that strange things are all part of the human mind?" Itachi asked seriously.

Sasuke looked down at his plate.

"Because. That's what I believe. Ghosts are just an idea. A fantasy created by people with sick obsessions with death." He said. Itachi raised an eyebrow at the undertone.

"Are you sceptic because of the incident with mom and dad?" he asked quietly.

Sasuke stiffened, which did not go unnoticed by his brother. Itachi sighed.

"Sorry. Forget I said anything. I'm going to bed after this. You should too. It would be better to get an early start tomorrow." And with that, Itachi left, closing the door behind him.

Sasuke finished his food quietly, before stacking his plate on the nightstand along with his book. He turned off the light and lay back under the covers. Sleep came easily. Just like always.

* * *

"_Mother!"_

"_..."_

"_Mother, are you here?"_

"_...Sa...ke..."_

"_..M-mother?"_

"_...Sa..u..ke!...R..n..!"_

"_M-mother? Are you in here?"_

_Eight year old Sasuke carefully pushed open the door to his parents' bedroom. When he could see the room, he froze in horror._

_Blood._

_Everywhere. _

_God, there was so much._

"_M-mother? Mother! Where are you? What's going on!" he called, his voice frantic. Just then he heard the soft gasps coming from behind the bed. He rushed over, but nearly jumped back in terror at the sight before him. _

_His mother was on the ground, wearing the beautiful blue gown his father had gotten her for her birthday. But the blue was stained with red blood, splashing across her chest and abdomen in a gruesome pattern. Her usually bright onyx eyes were a dull charcoal, all joy ebbing out of them along with her life._

"_..Sa...su...ke...r...run...get...o..t...of...he..re...it's...no...t...sa...fe...!" she gasped, desperately trying to warn her son, her baby of the danger. Sasuke was so scared. He didn't want his mom to die! He had to help her!_

_Just then, he heard his brother's frantic voice from downstairs. "SASUKE! SASUKE WHERE ARE YOU?"_

"_ITACHI! IT'S MOM! SHE'S HURT!" Sasuke screamed back. There were heavy footsteps, indicating his brother was running upstairs. Sasuke turned back to reassure his mother, but her eyes were wide with terror._

"_N..No!...Run...Sa..suke!...Now!" she choked out, her eyes on something behind him. It was then Sasuke felt the rush of air against his neck. His eyes grew wide, and all sound seemed to be sucked from the room. _

_In a slow move, he turned his head to look over his shoulder. He saw a blurry shape, but he could make out a clawed hand and bright, white eyes._

_The door to the room was forced open again and Itachi rushed into the room in time to see the blur slash down with its claw towards Sasuke, who let out a scream of pure terror.

* * *

_

"NOOOOOOOOOO!"

"SASUKE! SASUKE WAKE UP!"

He felt something hard hit his cheek before he shot up in his bed, narrowly avoiding smacking Itachi in the head. He was covered in a cold sweat, and his body shook uncontrollably, his eyes wide.

Itachi leant forwards and wrapped him in his arms, rocking him slightly and making soothing noises. He hated it when Sasuke had nightmares. His younger brother always had such strong reactions to them, and it caused a great strain on his mentality to have to relive the worst moments of his life at night.

"Ssshh...It's okay, Sasuke. It's okay. It was a dream, just a dream. It's all okay now." He whispered. Sasuke buried his face in his chest, trying to pull himself from the remnants of the dream.

"I-it was...the same one...again...m-mother..." Itachi silenced the boy with a hush. He didn't need to hear any more to know the contents of the dream. Sasuke had had that dream many times before throughout the years.

"It's alright. The sun will be up soon." Itachi told him, noticing it was 4:48 am. Sasuke took a shuddering breath before slowly prying himself from his brother's hold.

Itachi sat with him while he regained his composure, but when the older Uchiha moved to leave, Sasuke's hand shot out and grabbed his wrist involuntarily.

Itachi, already suspecting this, only tugged back on the hand, pulling Sasuke to his feet. He led his brother back to his own bedroom, pushing the boy down onto the bed. He pulled the covers over the smaller raven before climbing in next to him. He lay so that his back was against Sasuke's, giving him comfort without smothering him.

"Go back to sleep, Sasuke. I'm here if you need me." He whispered before closing his eyes.

Sasuke lowered his eyes, embarrassed by the fact that even at 16 he needed to sleep in the same bed as his brother to get over a nightmare.

But he had little time to dwell on this. Sleep was already coming for him again, and he was too weak to stop it from claiming him.

* * *

When the sunlight finally crept through the curtain, it decided to splash right across Sasuke's eyelids, blinding him even though his eyes were closed. He groaned and rolled over, swinging his arm around as he did so. It hit something hard and there was a loud groan.

Itachi opened one eye to see Sasuke's arm on his chest where it had just landed rather painfully. He sighed and turned to his brother, who was trying to go back to sleep.

"Sasuke. Wake up. We've got to go soon." He said sleepily, pushing the arm off him and sitting up. He looked over at the clock on his bedside, and sure enough it read 7:23 am. They had half an hour to get to the apartment before leaving for the orphanage.

Sasuke let out a frustrated groan at having to wake up, but slowly rose and rubbed his eyes.

"Why do we have to leave so early?" he complained. He was only ever whiney in the mornings, and he only voiced it at his own home. He had to keep up his stoic, bastard nature around others after all.

"Because Kakashi wants to acquaint us with the residents of the orphanage soon, and spend the rest of the day seeing whether or not there is a possibility of a haunting. But that might take three days, since we have to figure out times and conditions when the supernatural is most likely to occur." Itachi explained while he stretched and went to pull out his clothes for the day. Sasuke cracked his neck and left for his own room. He had showered the night before, so he could leave that for now.

They went through the morning rush fairly well, but they still had to leave while eating their breakfast if they wanted to make it in time.

Itachi led them down the street. The apartment was two blocks from them, but there were many crossings and dead ends, so they had to take a very squiggly path to get there.

"You do realize that both Kiba and Kakashi are probably going to be late? So we'll have woken up early for nothing." Sasuke said grumpily. Itachi smirked, but said nothing.

True to his predication, when they arrived outside the apartment, everyone except for their leader and Kiba was there. Neji, Lee and Chouji were loading the bags into the back of one of the vans. The other van, the one for their equipment, was already loaded and ready. Itachi would be driving that one behind Kakashi, who was to drive the rest of the crew.

"Hmm...The ride is going to be boring without Kisame sitting next to me." Itachi said. Sasuke smirked.

"Aw, what's the matter Itachi? Can't handle being apart from your _boyfriend _for too long?" he joked. Itachi turned to glare at him, but there was amusement in his eyes.

"Hey guys!" Kiba was running towards them, looking frantic. He stopped in front of them and doubled over, trying to catch his breath. He looked up and let out a relieved sigh.

"Phew! I made it in time! I was afraid Kakashi would leave me behind." He said. Sasuke snickered.

"Actually, Kakashi isn't even here yet." He informed the brunette. Kiba's eye grew wide and he growled.

"So you mean I nearly killed myself running for absolutely nothing!" he demanded. Sasuke and Itachi nodded, and the brunette fell to his knees with a cry of despair.

"Stop being such a drama queen." Sakura said walking up to them. Although she was talking to Kiba, her eyes were fixed on Sasuke, who felt oncoming doom. He inched closer to Itachi, eyeing the pinkette wearily.

"Aah, so everyone is here!"

Sakura screamed when Kakashi spoke from right behind her.

"When in the hell did you get here?" she gasped, clutching at her heart. Kakashi's eye curved upwards in his smile.

"Right now. You see, I was on my way over when I had an epiphany, and so I needed to explore..."

Itachi cut him off by throwing a set of keys at his face. The silver haired man caught them easily and smiled.

"Ah, thank you Itachi. So, I'll be driving the equipment truck then?" he asked. Itachi didn't fail to notice the hint of longing. He smirked. He knew full well how much Kakashi hated driving with Lee, Sakura, Ino and Kiba. They were always so noisy.

"Actually, no. Me and Shino shall be in the equipment truck, and you shall lead the way." The older raven said. Sasuke contained his laughter when Kakashi's face fell in horror.

'_Oh shit! I'm going to have to deal with Lee's youthful talking, Kiba's grumbling and lame jokes and Sakura and Ino's fan girling over Sasuke? No! I'm doomed!_' Kakashi thought miserably.

"Hey, are you guys still here? It's time for you to go, yeah!"

They turned at the voice to see the blonde man Deidara waving to them out the window. Sasori was beside him, still holding onto his weird puppet thing.

"Ah. Deidara's right. We need to get going." Itachi said. He walked over to the equipment van with Shino and climbed in. The rest of them trudged into the remaining vehicle until only Kakashi and Sasuke were left.

"Sasuke, sit in front with me. I need some sort of sanity for this trip." Kakashi sighed. Sasuke nodded and climbed into the front seat. He could feel Neji's glare from behind him and smirked. Kakashi climbed into the driver side. He closed the door, thought for a moment and then turned to the rest of them.

"Alright. It's going to be about half an hour to an hour's drive. And if I hear the words 'Youth' or 'Sasuke' I'll purposely drive into a ravine. So shut it. And Kiba, if you dare tell another lame joke I'll throw you out the window." He threatened. Sakura, Ino, Lee and Kiba gulped and nodded.

They drove down the street, Kakashi looking at a scrap of paper with directions every now and then. But he didn't need to. Lee knew where to go, seeing as his mentor was working at the orphanage. He pointed out the ways to turn before Kakashi could look at his directions, until eventually the man didn't even bother. He could trust the green clad monk.

"Ne, Lee, what type of person is this Maito Gai?" Sakura asked. Neji and Tenten groaned. They usually hung out with Lee, and knew his mentor.

"You just had to ask. Now we'll never hear the end of it." Tenten whined. Neji rubbed his temples and sighed, not looking forward to the oncoming conversation. Lee's eyes brightened, his rather thick eyebrows rising in excitement.

"He is a wonderful man who is filled with y-"he stopped himself, glancing at Kakashi, before continuing carefully "-with passion and energy. He loves working with the young children, and he is in charge of their exercise programs. He takes them out on training trips every now and then. And he is also very interested in the supernatural. He was actually a monk in his younger days. That's how I came into contact with him. My old teacher in Tibet recommended I speak to him when I arrived in this country. And he is one of the most amazing men I know!" Lee finished. You could practically see the tears of admiriation pour down his cheeks. Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"You make it sound like you're in love with the guy." He said evenly. Lee went red and sputtered.

"N-no! Of course not! I admire him and respect him! He is like a father figure!" the boy defended. Sasuke raised his other eyebrow.

"Then that makes it like incest." He deadpanned. The rest of the group erupted into giggles and snickers, and even Kakashi grinned beneath his mask. Lee blushed furiously, still denying it. Eventually, Sasuke got tired of hearing the argument.

"Relax, Lee. I was just teasing. I know it's not like that." He sighed, rubbing his head. Lee calmed down a bit, and stopped his arguing.

The rest of the drive was filled with chatter about the upcoming job. Sakura and Ino were excited as it was their first job since joining. Neji was talking to Tenten about the best way to communicate with angry spirits while keeping everyone safe. Lee and Kiba had started some weird game in which they high fived everytime the word 'job' was used. Shikamaru was asleep, his head resting against the window, and Chouji was eating chips from a bag as usual.

"Ne, Sasuke. Have you ever seen a ghost?" Ino asked. Sasuke turned to her, his eyes cold.

"Ghosts don't exist." He said flatly.

The rest of the crew grew silent. Even Chouji stopped his eating. Sakura gave Sasuke a confused smile.

"But, you're working for a paranormal company. Surely you have to believe in ghosts if you work here?" she reasoned. Sasuke scowled.

"I work here because my brother talked me into it, and I get paid to tell people they need to see a psychiatrist. I don't believe in ghosts." He insisted. Kiba chose that moment to pipe up.

"Yeah, see! Sasuke is our Bastard. He's the one who keeps everyone level headed and stops the victims from going overboard and freaking out by making them believe it might be natural accidents."

Sakura and Ino made understanding noises and then beamed at Sasuke.

'_Great, now they think I've got some sort of helping people job._' He thought angrily. He glared at them and Kiba, before turning back to the front.

"There's no such thing as ghosts." He muttered, his bangs covering his eyes. Kakashi sent a knowing glance his way before turning his attention back to the road.

* * *

"Alright everyone, we're here." Kakashi announced as he pulled up in front of the large orphanage. The crew looked up, examining the house. Chouji shook Shikamaru awake.

"This is so cool! I hope we see a real ghost!" Ino squealed.

"No you don't. According to the email, the strange occurrences have had the potential to harm the residents. That means that if there are in fact, spirits, then they are violent. It would be bad if that were the case." Neji said evenly. Sakura and Ino deflated, their smiles turning nervous.

"Hn. The chances are they're just a bunch of clumsy morons who blame their own stupidity on paranormal activity." Sasuke said. He was grumpy from the long ride, and from the thought that this was just another bust.

Kakashi sighed and reached over to ruffle the raven's hair. He withdrew his hand for fear of getting it bitten off. The leader opened his door and stepped out as Itachi parked his own van and exited with Shino.

"This is going to be interesting." Itachi said, looking up at the large building.

It was an old mansion, with three stories, a large open garden and a small forest nearby. The paint was peeling a bit and the weathered boards looked old. The roof had several patches on it, and two of the four chimneys were blocked. Several windows on the third floor were boarded up.

Kakashi hummed and looked back at the rest of the crew, who were also viewing the building.

"Hey Lee, weren't they supposed to meet us?"

At that exact moment, the front door burst open with a loud bang, startling Ino and Sakura. A tall man wearing a green jumpsuit ran down the steps towards them. His black hair was sleek and in a bowl-cut style, and his eyebrows were huge!

"LEE!" he cried. It was then that everyone noticed that Lee had run towards the man and embraced him in a huge hug.

"GAI-SENSEI!" Lee yelled. They repeated their cries for at least two minutes before Itachi cleared his throat to get their attention. Lee broke away and turned to them, his eyes bright.

"Sorry. Everyone, this is Maito Gai-sensei. My mentor and the one who called for us. Gai-sensei, this is the crew of Rei-Senzai Inc. This is our leader and vice leader." Lee said, motioning to the two men.

Kakashi and Itachi stepped forwards, exteneding their hands. "Hatake Kakashi. Founder and head of Rei-Senzai Inc." "Uchiha Itachi. Associate leader and head of contacts."

They waited for the man to shake their hands, but when he pulled them both forward into a bone crushing hug, they were alarmed. Kakashi yelped and Itachi's eyes widened, his mouth opening in a silent cry of protest.

Sasuke barely contained his laughter at the sight of his brother. Itachi sent him a glare, before dragging him forward once he was free of the man.

"This is my little brother, Uchiha Sasuke. He's the level head in our group and in charge of negotiations with victims of natural incidents." Sasuke was horrified when the man pulled him forward. As his ribcage was abused by Maito Gai's strong arms, he sent a 'I'm-so-going-to-kill-you' look at Itachi who only smirked in return.

The rest of the team seemed reluctant to step forward, but with a stern glare from both Itachi and Kakashi, they moved forwards one by one to get hugged by the overly cheerful man.

"Hyuuga Neji. Psychic and spiritual specialist. This is my cousin Hinata. Her role is the same as mine." Neji said. He was swept into a hug with his cousin, and simply glared at the man until he was released.

"I'm Aburame Shino, technical specialist. These are Tachibana Tenten and Nara Shikamaru, my co-specialists. Tenten's main talent is with audio recording and findings, Shikamaru is the programmer and interpreter and I specialise with camera placement and adjustment." Shino was somehow spared from the dreaded hug, while Tenten was spun around and Shikamaru was squeezed so hard he actually bothered to open his eyes and grumble.

"Akimichi Chouji. In charge of meal times and planners." The large boy didn't move as the man gripped him. The others could see the man had tried to pick him up, but had failed. Chouji, fortunately, didn't notice.

"Inuzuka Kiba. Animal spirit specialist." Kiba tried to dodge the arms that grabbed at him, but Sasuke knocked him back into the man's embrace. There was no way in hell he would let the dog boy get off scot free while he went through the torture.

"Haruno Sakura. R.A."

"Yamanak Ino. Also and R.A."

They were both hugged.

"And you already know Rock Lee, our monk and exorcist." Kakashi finished. Gai looked at them all and grinned.

"I'm so glad you have arrived. It is a most youthful experience to meet with you youthful youngsters." He said loudly. Everyone else inwardly groaned.

He was like another Lee! Maybe even worse!

"Gai! What are you doing? Have you seen the twi- oh! Are these the members from that company you mentioned?" a kind voice spoke from the entrance to the mansion. They turned to see a man with brown hair tied back in a ponytail and soft, chocolate brown eyes smiling at them. He had a long scar across the bridge of his nose.

Kakashi blushed, but it was unnoticed by the rest.

"Ah! Iruka, my good man! Yes indeed these are the youthful beings of Rei-Senzai Inc! They have come to aid us in our time of paranormal crisis!" Gai said dramatically. The man called Iruka shook his head and walked forwards, extending his arm towards Kakashi, who rushed to take it.

"Sorry for my colleagues over enthusiastic welcome. I'm Umino Iruka. I'm in charge of most of the orphanage as head caretaker. Any questions you have about the orphanage and children are addressed to me." Iruka smiled warmly at them all, and everyone couldn't help but like the man.

"Hatake Kakashi. I'm the leader." Kakashi beamed. Iruka gave him another warm smile and Kakashi melted inside. A voice to his left coughed lightly.

"Uchiha Itachi. I think it would be best to keep the introductions at bay until we meet everyone else, as we've already done it once."

Iruka nodded, sending a raised eyebrow at Gai. He turned back to the mansion, motioning the rest to follow. "I'll get some of the older children to help bring in your bags and such later on."

"Thank you." Itachi said. He smirked as he watched Kakashi check the brunette man out.

This would definitely be an interesting job.

* * *

"Ah, Iruka-san. What were you going to ask me?" Gai inquired in his loud voice.

"Ah, yes. I was wondering if you've seen the twins? I haven't been able to find them, and the younger kids are growing worried. Also, Sora has been asking to talk to you about his exercise programme." Iruka spoke.

They passed by the lounge, the kitchen, a few closed doors and a large room with lots of tables and chairs. Maybe the study room?

They went all the way to the back, exiting into the garden. When the sunlight hit them in contrast to the dark house, Sasuke blinked his eyes, trying to adjust.

When he could see clearly, his eyes took in a large pool, where several children were now playing.

Two boys and a girl were splashing their feet in the water, while cheering to someone in the deeper end of the pool. There was a teen girl with long brown hair lying on a lawn chair, tanning. A boy with ash brown hair that stopped at his shoulders was sitting beside her, talking. He looked about 14. There was a pale boy with short black hair and equally black eyes sitting in the shade of a tree not too far away, a sketch pad in his lap. He also looked around 15 or so. There was a girl with blonde hair tied into four, short ponytails standing by the deepest end, wearing a light purple bikini. She was arguing with two other boys. One had messy brown hair and had what looked like face paint on. He seemed to be about 16, like the girl. The other boy had deep red hair and no eyebrows. There were thick black circles around his jade green eyes, and he was glowering at the water, as if it was mocking him. Above his left eye was the kanji for 'love' in red ink.

But Sasuke hardly noticed these people. His attention was drawn to the boy currently doing tricks in the centre of the pool. He had bright, sunshine blonde hair and tan skin. His eyes were a dazzling azure blue and they gleamed with joy as he did some more flips and spins. Three whisker like scars on each cheek gave him a fox-like countenance.

Sasuke couldn't help but stare at the blonde as he did another underwater handstand, causing the three children watching to cheer eagerly.

"Go Naruto-nii-san!" the boy with spiky brown hair cheered. His friend with glasses gave a slight cheer, and the little orange-haired girl stood up to clap.

The blonde grinned at them when he came up and carried on with his show. Sasuke was absolutely captivated with those blue eyes and that huge grin. He felt something strange wash over him, like a warm breath, but on the inside. His eyes followed the boy as he dived in the water, coming up fast enough to jump a bit and cause a large splash.

Itachi was talking to him, but Sasuke couldn't hear a word. He was lost in the sight of that wet, tan skin.

* * *

Eventually, Itachi realized his brother wasn't hearing him. His sharp eyes followed the direction Sasuke's were and he fixated on the blonde as well. A knowing smirk formed on his face and he nudged Kakashi in the side. Said man looked at him, then Sasuke and then the blonde. He smiled and walked over to the other side of Sasuke, clapping a hand on the boy's shoulder.

Both Itachi and Kakashi were alarmed when Sasuke didn't throw the hand off. He didn't even seem to notice it. The two men shared a look.

This was going to be very fun.

"Iruka-san, who is that blonde boy over there?" Itachi asked. Iruka looked at the boy and an affectionate smile formed on his face.

"That is Uzumaki Naruto. He's been with us since he was a baby. He's turning 16 in a few weeks, actually. The younger kids adore him, especially those three. They're Sarutobi Konohamaru, Kimo Udon and Demigawa Moegi." Iruka said. He took a step forward and cupped his hands around his mouth.

"Naruto! Over here!" he called.

Unfortunately, the boy called Naruto had just started a spin. He snapped his head to Iruka, losing his balance as he did so. His arm slipped out from under him and he toppled towards the edge of the pool. There was a loud 'crack' as his head hit the tiles, and he sunk under the water like a brick.

Iruka let out a horrified gasp, the three watching children screamed and Itachi and Kakashi started to move. However, they were pushed aside.

Sasuke wasted no time in diving into the water, clothes and all. Good thing he'd taken his shoes off near the front door. He pushed through the water, opening his eyes and seeing the blonde still drifting to the bottom.

Damn, this pool was _deep_!

He gave another powerful kick and reached out. Wrapping and arm around the blonde's naked torso he twisted and pushed up to the surface. When he broke through with a loud gasp of air, he made sure the blonde's head was above water. Itachi was by the edge, holding out a hand in assistance. Together they dragged/pushed the blonde out of the pool and Sasuke climbed out.

They leaned over the blonde, and Itachi pressed down on his chest three times.

It was enough.

Naruto coughed, spitting out some water and shakily pushing himself into a sitting position. Iruka was there in a flash, pulling the boy into a hug.

"Oh my gosh! Naruto I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to distract you! Are you okay? Can you see straight? Do you _remember _me? Can you see spots? Do you ache? How many fingers are on a person's right hand?" Naruto quickly placed two fingers on Iruka's lips, silencing any further questions. He grinned, the mere size of the smile forcing his eyes to close.

"I'm fine, Iruka-sensei. Just a bit wet and disoriented." He assured. Iruka visibly deflated in relief, putting a hand over his heart.

"Thank goodness."

"Hn. Dobe." Sasuke said quietly. But Naruto heard it. His head snapped to the raven, and his blue eyes grew bright in irritation.

"What did you say, teme?" he asked. Sasuke faced him fully, took a breath and repeated, "Dobe."

"What the hell? Who are you anyway?" the blonde demanded angrily. Iruka waved him down.

"Naruto, don't be rude! This is...ah..." Iruka looked at Sasuke.

"Uchiha Sasuke."

"Yes. He's a member of the group Gai asked to come and check out the strange things that have been happening. And he just saved you!" Iruka finished. This seemed to sober the blonde up. His anger faded and he looked at Sasuke carefully.

"Thanks...You're here to make them leave?" he asked quietly. Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"Make 'who' leave?" The blonde stared at him.

"The ghosts! Who else?" he said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Sasuke raised the other eyebrow.

"There's no such thing as ghosts." He stated simply. The blonde blinked at him, then frowned.

"You know something? I don't think I like you very much. You're an ass." He said, and then got up to fetch his towel. Sasuke watched him go, and he couldn't help but admire the blonde's backside as he walked. He felt a nudge in his side and turned to see Itachi smirking down at him.

"Way to start off a relationship, Sasuke. Now it's going to be harder getting him to fall in love with you." Itachi whispered. Sasuke glared at him, a light blush on his face.

"I'm not- I don't-I have no idea what you're talking about!" he hissed. Itachi just chuckled and stood, pulling Sasuke to his feet.

"Whatever you say, little brother."

* * *

Everyone was gathered into the large play room. There were toys scattered around, chests of drawers with art supplies, dress up clothes and spare pool things. Books were arranged on a shelf with the children's ones by the bottom, and the more advanced ones resting near the top. A large T.V sat against one wall with couches arranged around it. There was a play station 3 console next to it, and several games like Need for Speed, Mortal Combat and a few others. Pictures undoubtedly drawn by the residents were pinned up all around, and the curtains were wide open, letting the bright sunlight stream into the room.

All in all, it was a wonderful place for children to rest, play and chat. There was also a corner with a table and comfortable chairs where the staff and members of Rei-Senzai were now sitting. The members of Kakashi's group had just finished introducing themselves, and it was time for the caretakers.

There was Iruka, Gai, a man with black hair and sideburns and friendly brown eyes, a woman with long, wavy brown hair and strange, red eyes-contacts maybe- another woman whose long blonde hair was separated into two pigtails that hung low on her back. She was a very well endowed woman, her chest straining against the white shirt she wore. Next to her was another woman with shoulder length black hair. In her arms she held a pig.

...No one asked.

Then there was another man, older than the rest. He had long, spiky white hair that was partially tied up. He had strange red lines running from his eyes down the sides of his cheeks, and a mole on his nose. He was staring shamelessly at the busty blonde's bosom.

"Ah, so it's our turn then. This here is Sarutobi Asuma." The sideburn guy waved a hand, "Yuuhi Kuernai," the red-eyed woman smiled, "Ho Tsunade," the blonde tilted her head, "Yoshi Shizune," the pig-holding woman smiled, "and finally Sennin Jiraiya." The pervy man grinned, eyes not leaving the blonde's chest.

Pervert.

"It's nice to meet you all." Kakashi said, bowing his head. The others did the same, and the action was mirrored by most of the caretakers.

"So, you're here to help solve our ghost problems, eh?" Asuma said, leaning back in his chair. Kakashi nodded.

"Well, first we're going to see if it is, indeed, a ghost problem at all." He said. Asuma nodded. Kurenai rested her arm on his and smiled at them.

"Thank you for doing this. The children have been growing increasingly nervous during nighttimes, what with all the talk of ghosts." She sent a scathing look to Gai and Jiraiya. Itachi smirked. He could guess who had started the whole thing.

He glanced over at Sasuke, and was not surprised to see his brother was staring avidly at Naruto, who was sitting by the T.V with his three fans.

Itachi turned to face Sasuke. "It's impolite to stare, little brother. Perhaps you should go over and talk to him, since you seem to wish it so much."

If looks could kill, Itachi would be the proof of paranormal activity in the orphanage. Sasuke's eyes were boring holes into his face, and there was a very dark scowl on his face. Itachi, being the Uchiha he was, didn't flinch and didn't even waver as he stared back. Eventually, Sasuke turned away, muttering a "Shut up, Itachi."

"Would you like to talk to Naruto? I hope you forgive his behaviour earlier. He can be quite loud and brash at times, but he's a very kind person." Iruka said. Sasuke sent another glare at Itachi, but shook his head.

"No, it's okay. I'm not bothered by it." He replied politely. Just then, Jiraiya let out a chuckle, turning to the children.

"NARUTO! Get your scrawny butt over here right now!" he called. The boy turned on his seat and glared at the man.

"My butt is not scrawny you old pervert!" he retorted, but dragged himself off the couch and made his way over to them.

Sasuke was having a mental panic attack.

When Naruto stopped in front of the old man he shoved his hands into his pockets.

"What's up?" he asked. Jiraiya smirked down at him.

"It's about what happened earlier." He started, but Naruto cut him off, waving his hands in defence.

"I swear I tried to stop them! I told them not to use the shaving cream, but they wouldn't listen!" he said.

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow, and all the other caretakers' turned to him. "I was talking about earlier at the pool, Naruto."

Naruto froze, his blue eyes wide. He let out a nervous giggle and scratched the back of his head. "Oh? Well, just forget what I said then!" he said. Iruka was next to him in an instant, grabbing the scruff of his neck.

"What exactly did you do this time, Naruto?" he asked sternly.

"I didn't do it! That's what I was saying in the first place!" Naruto screeched, trying to escape. Sasuke snorted.

"Dobe." He said. Naruto glared at him and retorted with a simple "Teme."

They had a glaring contest, and those at the table could feel the tension building.

However, only Kakashi and Itachi realized that one side was sexual tension. They both smirked.

"I think it would be best for us to bring in the equipment and start our work." Shino said suddenly. Kiba jumped up excitedly.

"Alright! This is going to be awesome! We're going to go hunt some ghosts!" he whooped. Naruto turned to him, a slow grin spreading across his whiskered face.

"I like you. Want me to show you around?" he asked, pointing a finger at the brunette. Kiba returned the blonde's grin, reaching over and grabbing his hand in a rough shake. "You bet! You'll be my own personal tour guide! The name's Inuzuka Kiba! Call me Kiba!"

Naruto laughed. "Uzumaki Naruto. But Naruto is fine."

The two stood, hands clasped, grinning at each other. The rest were slightly alarmed at how similar they looked and acted. Sasuke mentally added Kiba to his 'kill-before-Christmas' list. So far, there were only four people: Sakura, Ino, Kakashi and now Kiba.

Maybe he should add Itachi too, because he was getting tired of seeing that knowing smirk.

"Not to interrupt this moment of bonding between you too, but you have some explaining to do, Naruto." Shizune interrupted, and Sasuke decided he liked this woman when Naruto hurriedly let go of Kiba's hand.

"Ah...heh, well, you see...I-uh...I suggest you don't go to the upstairs bathroom for a while." He said nervously. Iruka immediately left the room. Naruto sighed. "Whatever happens is not my fault." He said.

They waited for five minutes before Iruka's voice ripped through the silence.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?"

There were voices yelping and hurried footsteps. Soon after, three boys burst into the room, ran at full speed and dived behind the couch.

Iruka swept in, looked at Asuma who pointed at the couch without looking up, and then moved in on his prey. He moved quickly, reaching down and grabbing whoever was hiding. He pulled them out from their rather pathetic hiding place and forced them to face the rest.

Two of the boys had bright crimson hair. One's was spiked and he wore a pair of goggles on his head, keeping his bangs from falling in his eyes. The other's hair was slihglty longer, and tied into a tiny ponytail at the back of his head. They both wore dark green army jackets, the ones without sleeves. The ponytailed one had ripped, black jeans and black Converse shoes. The other had navy blue, three quarter pants and was barefoot. They both had two scratches running on vertically on either cheek. The spiky-haired one had bright, turquoise eyes, and the other had equally bright neon green. They were definitely twins of some order. They both looked about 15 or so and were staring at Iruka with terrified faces.

The third was younger without a doubt. He had sleek black hair that changed into blonde at the tips. It was ruffled and messy, seeming to stick out to the right creating a wave on his head. His eyes were a dull green, almost like moss. He wore a long-sleeved, brown shirt that was way too big for him. His hands didn't even peek out of the sleeve ends. His shorts were black and he wore a pair of black sandals.

He was praying for his life.

"What did they do now?" Jiraiya asked, amused. Iruka turned to them, his face red with anger.

"They had the nerve to hide behind the door with a bucket of shaving cream-Asuma, you're all out by the way- and they were waiting for one of the members from Rei-Senzai to come in." He explained.

The ponytailed crimson suddenly grinned and looked at them.

"It's my way of saying 'hi'." He said. His voice was rough and scratchy, almost like dry leaves sliding across gravel. His possible-twin turned too, his smile less menacing. "Sorry. My big brother thinks pranks bring people closer than handshakes." His voice broke a bit, signalling he was hitting puberty.

The youngest of them stopped praying and just stared at them, his face blank.

"Ah, I see. Well, hi, anyway. I'm Kakashi, the leader." Kakashi said, his eye curving in a smile again. The three boys stood. The ponytail pointed to himself, "I'm Kamuzuki Kao. I'm 16. This is my younger by ten minutes brother, Kamuzuki Kamurou." He pointed to his twin, who bowed slightly, "and this is our good friend and prankster-apprentice Muzai Junkyo." The boy bowed deeply, still silent. **(1)**

The rest of them nodded in greeting, some waving and telling their names. Sasuke kept his eyes on Naruto, who was smiling at the three.

"Hey Naruto! Don't smile at me, you idiot. I'm going to get you back for ratting on us!" Kao called angrily, shaking his fist at the blonde. Naruto just grinned wider in challenge and turned back to Kiba.

"So, ready for that tour?"

* * *

Sasuke was torn between blessing his good fortune or cursing his rotten luck.

Confused? So was he.

After bringing in all the equipement, Itachi had told them to set it up in all the rooms that strange incidents have occurred in. Several of those rooms were on the third floor, which was unused most of the time. It was mainly storage.

In order to do this properly, Itachi had also said that each group of team members should have at least one guide from the orphanage, and some of the orphans themselves had volunteered.

And once again, Sasuke's most _wonderful _big brother Itachi had assigned Naruto to him.

That's where he had mentally cheered at his good luck.

And then Kiba had insisted tagging along to set up the equipment too, and the blonde had agreed joyously.

That's when inner Sasuke started destroying cities.

So here he was, trailing behind the two loud idiots carrying a camera stand, audio recorder and heat sensor. Kiba was carrying the camera, wires and some other device Sasuke couldn't remember the name of. Naruto had been talking animatedly while they walked up the stairs, but as soon as they reached the third floor, his voice went soft and his movements became edgy.

When they were near the room where several things had moved on their own, apparently, the blonde stopped altogether, staring at the door with wide eyes.

"Hey, you okay man?" Kiba asked, noticing his new friend's hesitation. Naruto turned his gaze to the brunette, chewing his lip.

"N-not really." He whispered. Sasuke had caught up with them and also stopped to observe the blonde.

"You're not scared are you?" he asked with a smirk. Naruto glared at him, but it lacked true anger. Instead it was nervous and slightly...pleading. Sasuke's smirk faded and was replaced with what might have been a concerned frown.

Not that he'd ever admit it.

"There's nothing to be afraid of, dobe. Ghosts aren't real, and even if they were, it's still daytime. I'm pretty sure ghosts are supposed to be allergic to sunlight or some shit like that." He said and without a second thought he pushed the door open.

Almost immediately, Naruto hid behind him, grasping the back of his shirt lightly. Sasuke decided not to say anything, and inner Sasuke was cheering in victory. Kiba, by some miracle, also stayed quiet. Sasuke might just let him live for Christmas.

"Hmmm...I can definitely feel spiritual energy in here. There's something here." The brunette said seriously. Naruto let out a tiny whimper and inched closer to Sasuke.

He was _definitely _letting the brunette live for Christmas. Hell, he'd even get him a _gift_!

They edged into the room, Naruto looking around wearily. Kiba moved to the centre, placing the camera down with the rest before tilting his head up and sniffing the air intently. He scrunched his nose, eyes narrowing.

"There's an odd smell in this room." He said slowly. Then he turned to Naruto, who by now was practically trying to meld with Sasuke's arm...not that the raven minded. "You said that things have been moved. What things exactly? Large objects?" Kiba inquired.

Naruto thought for a moment, his eyes roaming over the room. Then he shook his head.

"No. Only small things. Like those rags over there. And that stool has moved around a bit." He pointed to the various things before re-entangling his hands in Sasuke's shirt. Sasuke looked at the things mentioned, but said nothing. He was a sceptic after all.

"Well, there's a faint trace of spiritual energy in this room, but it's not really like a ghost...it's more like the energy of –" Kiba was cut off when a loud scratching noise broke through the silence. It sounded like something was trying to claw through the walls.

Naruto let out a gasp and wrapped his arms around Sasuke waist, burying his face in between the raven's shoulder blades.

Startled by the sudden noise as well as the tan arms grabbing him, Sasuke dropped the stand and other equipment. Kiba was in a half crouch, eyes searching the room intently.

"W-what i-is t-t-that?" Naruto stammered, his voice muffled. Sasuke listened intently as the scratching continued. He noticed it seemed to be coming from behind a large wardrobe. Suddenly he heard something else.

A squeak.

"Wait a minute." He said, striding over to the wardrobe. He slightly regretted the movement as Naruto didn't follow, too scared to go near the noise. Instead the blonde latched onto Kiba's arm. Sasuke tried his best not to hate the animal lover.

He turned his attention of the wardrobe, dropping to a crouch as he edged closer. As sneakily as he could he peeked around the back. A smirk broke out over his face.

Quick as a flash he reached into the dark crevice, grabbing something which let out a terrified squeak.

"This is the culprit. For the noise and most likely for the moving objects as well." He said, and he showed them the rather large rat he was clutching. It writhed in his hand, trying to bite him, but he held it in a way that made that impossible. Kiba sighed and nodded.

"Yeah. That rat is giving off the spiritual energy. I thought it felt too solid and alive. There's no ghostly activity in this room." He concluded, heaving another sigh. Naruto stared at the rat, before collapsing to his knees with a weak laugh.

"That really creeped me out." He said, running a hand through his hair. Sasuke looked at the rat in his hand. He held it out to Kiba who took it carefully.

"I'll go put this guy outside. Sasuke, call Kakashi and let him know this room is a bust. Then go with Naruto to the next room we were supposed to visit and start setting up. I'll meet up with you."

Now, usually Sasuke would argue, saying that he was doing all the work and Kiba was being a lazy git. But this time he would get the blonde boy to himself, so he let it go. Kiba raised an eyebrow at the lack of argument but carried on out of the room.

Sasuke took out the walkie-talkie and turned it on. "Hello, Sasuke here. Kakashi?"

There was a crackling sound before Kakashi's voice came through the small device.

"Sasuke. What's up? Already seen a ghost and ready to repent all the times you denied their existence?"

Sasuke gave a sarcastic laugh. "Ha ha. _Very_ funny. Actually, I called to let you know this room is a bust. The so called unexplained events were just explained. It was a rat. A huge _mother_ of a rat, but still a living, corporeal creature that breathed, squeaked and did _not_ ooze ectoplasm all over me."

"I see. Well then leave that room. No point in monitoring something that's already been solved. Set up in the next room."

"Ah." Sasuke looked over at the blonde. "Care to lead me to the next room, Dobe?"

Naruto gave him a half glare. "Don't call me that Teme."

"Sasuke?" Kakashi's voice rang out. Sasuke realized he'd forgotten to turn off the radio.

"Yes?"

"...It's just you and Naruto-kun am I right?"

"...Ah...?"

"...Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

Sasuke almost blushed. He brought the radio closer to his mouth. "There's nothing you wouldn't do."

"You're right. In that case...pound away!"

Sasuke threw the radio so hard it hit the wall and smashed. Naruto jumped at the sudden movement and stared at him. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Nothing. My boss is just an asshole." Sasuke replied, starting to pick up the abandoned equipment. He ignored the crackling radio on the floor. "Can you help me carry this shit? I can't pick it all up, my arms are too full."

"Uh, sure." Naruto gathered up the wires and audio recorder as well as the unknown object. "What's this thing do?"

"I can't remember what it's called, but I think it's supposed to light up when there's a ghost in the room. And if it goes red it means the ghost is in a deadly mood... no pun intended." Sasuke added as he left the room. Naruto followed close behind.

They walked down the silent hall together, Naruto slightly in front.

After a few seconds of silence, Naruto glanced at him. "Can I ask you something?"

Sasuke kept his face forward, but his eyes looked at the blonde. "Hn?"

"Well, actually two things. First, uh, why did you, uh...let me...hide behind you and...clutch you...like that." A light blush spread across the tan cheeks, and Sasuke found he liked that very much.

"Because you were scared. And when I was younger, I used to do the same to my brother when I had a nightmare. So I know that it's helpful." He said calmly. It was a half truth. He had clutched Itachi, but only when he was a child. He hadn't clutched Itachi during the daytime in about eight years. The last time was when his parents died.

Naruto was watching him before a small smile spread over his face. "Well, thanks. I-it did help."

"Hn. And? You had to questions, dobe."

"Don't call me that! But...well, why don't you believe in ghosts?"

They stopped in front of the next room, staring at each other. Sasuke was thinking hard. Should he really tell Naruto the reason for his belief?

Well, he felt like he could trust the blonde. So, maybe it wouldn't hurt to tell someone after all this time.

"Well...the truth is I –"

The door in front of them flew open with a bang, causing them both to jump. A blast of icy cold air engulfed them and at the same time the unnamed object in Naruto's hand made a high pitched squeal, the screen lighting up...

... And flashing red.

* * *

**So, there we have chapter 1! Yippee! And it's a cliffy! I didn't really intend on it, but then I figured this might be a good way to keep your interest? Is it working?**

**Anyway, on with the single explanation.**

**(1) - for those who have read my other story Accomplishments(you're all awesome and I'm working on the final chapter!) you will most likely recognize these names. Along with Mizuru(yes, she's in here too), but of course there are slight changes. Such as, Kao has his own body, Kamurou is younger than originally planned and Junkyo is actually THERE! so, yeah, obviously there's going to be a tad of KamJun going on...*perverted smirk.***

**Anyway, thanks for reading this and I hope you look forward to the next installment! Reviews make me really happy and inspire me!**

**Many thanks~~ Juura99  
**


	2. There's No Such Thing as Ghosts!

**Hey! Sorry it took so long, but I'll warn you now! This story is going to come slowly, as each chapter is long, and I only have a basic outline! I know what I want to happen, but writing it out and helping it all unfold while still keeping sequence and making it understandable is a different story! So please be patient. I'll try to update as fast as I can, but I cannot promise anything.**

**Anyway, here's the next chapter of Rei-Senzai!**

**Warnings: Language, mention of ghosts, debates and blackmailing Uchiha's.**

**Disclaimer: Am I a man? Is my name Masashi Kishimoto? Is it? No. And I'm not a man. Therefore, I do not own Naruto. Simple as that.  
**

**

* * *

There's No Such Thing as Ghosts!**

Naruto let out a long scream, dropping half the object in his arms. The cold blast of air seemed endless, and Sasuke felt his nose and ears start to sting.

"What the fuck?"

Naruto was tugging on his arm frantically. "Let's get out of here! Come on!" he screeched.

But Sasuke didn't move. He felt something strange wash over him, like a shadow had been cast, but when he looked there was nothing there.

"Sasuke! Come on! Please!" Naruto's terrified voice caused him to look over at the blonde. Naruto was standing in front of him, his back to the door as he tried to get Sasuke's attention. Sasuke's eyes saw Naruto, before shifting to look over his shoulder and into the room.

All sound seemed to get sucked from the room as he saw it. A tall figure, the shape of a man, perhaps. But it was translucent, and Sasuke could see the walls behind it. There was no face, or indication of limbs. It was just a shape of pale, translucent white.

All this happened in a split second before-

"SASUKE!"

Itachi was running down the hall, skidding to a halt. He looked into the room just as the vision seemed to swirl and vanish like smoke.

Sasuke was already blinking and shaking his head.

"Stupid hallucinations." He muttered. Itachi sent him a look over his shoulder, but said nothing. He opted instead to kneel and calm Naruto, who was panting and gasping.

"Naruto-kun, you need to calm down. It's gone. You're okay." He said calmly. Naruto took several deep breaths, calmed by Itachi's deep voice, before relaxing his shoulders and letting out a sigh of relief.

"That was..." he drifted off, looking into the room with nervous eyes. Sasuke looked down at the blonde.

"That was a natural thing. The window is open, and most likely has been. There must have been a strong burst of wind and we happened to open the door then. That's all it was." He said evenly. Naruto turned to stare at him incredulously.

"Are you nuts? Did you not feel that sensation? Like a shadow was falling over you? And what about the device thing? It lit up and went red!" he exclaimed. Sasuke kept his voice even and his eyes hard.

"That 'sensation' you say you felt was simply a wave of cold mixed with your own fear. And as for the device, it most likely detects temperatures. And many theories of the supernatural say that when ghosts are angry, the temperature drops. Hence, since there was such cold air, the device recognized it as a supposed spiritual presence and lit up. There, done, end of story."

Naruto was staring at him, but he said nothing. Itachi was sending him glances, but he ignored them.

Instead, he started setting up the equipment.

When he was almost done, he heard Naruto whisper to Itachi.

"I can't decide whether to punch him for being such a bastard, or thank him for making it seem less scary."

* * *

They had managed to set up their equipment in each of the supposedly haunted rooms before dinner time. Their 'base' was set up in the living room, and there were a few sleeping bags, cots and couches set up for them to sleep.

Itachi had insisted that the younger members of the team sleep in actual beds, and Iruka had provided them with rooms. Sasuke was one of the 'younger ones'. It his him, Kiba, Hinata, Sakura, Ino and Shikamaru.

Except Shikamaru had to stay by the equipment most of the time. He was a genius, and therefore Itachi overlooked the fact he was only 16.

"Sasuke, can I talk to you for a moment?" Itachi called after everyone was settled in the living room to begin their work. Sasuke grunted in response and stood up, walking over to the corner his brother was waiting in. "What is it, brother?"

"I'd like to ask what it is you saw earlier." Itachi stared down at him, his arms crossed. Sasuke met his gaze.

"Nothing. Just a dust cloud or something." He replied. Itachi narrowed his eyes.

"You and I both know that's not true. Admit it, Sasuke. There was something unnatural there."

"No. I won't admit it. There's most likely a perfectly logical explanation behind it. Lighting, dust particles, smoke, there's plenty of things that can explain it. It wasn't a ghost." Sasuke insisted, also crossing his arms.

Itachi studied him for a moment, before sighing and running a hand through his hair.

"Very well. If that's what you believe, I'm fine with it. But there's a little side job I want to give you as well." He smirked, and Sasuke wasn't sure if he should be concerned or not.

"What is it?" he asked, hesitantly. Itachi's smirk widened.

Now Sasuke was concerned.

"I spoke to Naruto a bit earlier, and he confessed that he has a tremendous phobia of ghosts. And that of course makes it difficult for him to go anywhere in this house at night. So, I'm assigning you to be his bed buddy. It means that you'll share his room, and if he needs to go anywhere at night, he is allowed to wake you up and you are to go with him, no matter what. Also, when he does get a fright, it will be your job to calm him down. Since you don't believe in ghosts that will be easy for you, right?" Itachi was full on grinning now, his black eyes glinting with amusement.

Sasuke's inner self was celebrating while holding a banner saying 'My Brother is Awesome!'.

Outer Sasuke was glaring. "You mean I have to be his babysitter?"

"Don't be like that. It's obvious to me and Kakashi just how attracted to the blonde you are, so we're doing you a favour. Just don't molest him without his consent. That would be bad for business." Itachi said, and before Sasuke could do more than blush and sputter slightly, he walked back to the rest of the group as Iruka announced dinner was ready.

When they were seated at the table, they met the rest of the orphans, and finally names were given.

The girl with long brown hair who had been tanning was Fuman Mizuru. She was 14. Sasuke immediately placed her in the rabid fan girl category. She'd practically drooled on him when he'd said 'hi'.

The pale, black haired boy who had been sketching was Megumi Sai, a 15 year old. He greeted them all with a smile, but it looked incredibly fake to Sasuke. He wasn't sure what to think of the boy.

Then there was Sabaku Temari and her younger brothers Gaara and Kankuro.

Temari was 17, Kankuro was 16 and Gaara was 15. While the two older siblings seemed normal, Gaara was silent throughout the introductions. He had glared at Sasuke the entire time too.

Eventually, Sasuke had gotten tired of the glare, so he'd returned it and said "Is there a problem?"

Gaara had blinked once before a snarl made its way onto his face.

"Stay away from Naruto." Was all he said. Sasuke scowled, fully intent of telling him off, but then the red head sat down at the table, pulling the blonde with him and forcing him to sit next to him.

"I'm sorry. My brother and Naruto are best friends, and Gaara can be a little over protective." Temari apologized before pulling Kankuro to his seat and taking her own.

The Kamuzuki twins and their friend Junkyo were sitting in a row, whispering amongst themselves and often throwing odd looks at the guests. Sasuke noticed how Kao's eyes seemed to linger on Neji, and he smirked.

The boy with shoulder length, ash brown hair was Aoi Sora. He gave them an incredibly cocky smile.

"So you're the bunch that's supposedly going to help us? Yeah, sure. What, no jumpsuits?" he mocked. Asuma had whacked him across the back of the head.

"Don't be rude, Sora." He scolded. The boy sniggered.

"Sorry, sorry." He said and went to sit next to Mizuru.

The three fans of Naruto came in just then, nodding hello before rushing to take the seats closest to Naruto. Three little girls came in after them. The one had platinum coloured hair that was spiked at the back and long on the one side at the front. The other had her strawberry red hair tied into a bun at the back. The last one had limp charcoal hair. It hung around her face, framing the sickly skin. Sasuke was reminded vividly of the girl in that horror movie 'The Ring'.

"Ah, there you are girls. Everyone, these are our youngest. The blonde is Rasen Gan. The red head is Rai Kiri, and the raven is Chi Dori. (1)"

The girls nodded. Kiri and Gan smiled, but Dori refused to look at them. They went to their seats quietly and sat together.

Soon after that, two more children walked in. The one was wearing a cap with two dog ears on it. His short also had a picture of a white dog. The other one was dressed in black, which contrasted with his white hair. He looked like a ghost.

"And these are the last ones to arrive. This is Gat Tsuuga. He's a dog-lover in case you can't tell. And his friend is Kage Mane. Be careful around him. He has a habit of sticking to the shadows, and often grabs people walking by and stopping them." Iruka said, leading the two late comers to their seats.

"Well, that's everyone!" Iruka said, clapping his hands. The crew sat down, introducing themselves. Kiba and Tsuuga hit it off at once, starting to talk about animals, especially dogs. The young boy was ecstatic to hear about Kiba's dog, Akamaru. Mane somehow managed to pull Shikamaru into a conversation. It seemed that the white haired boy had a few interesting things to say, as Shikamaru perked up enough to answer him.

Naruto, his three fans, Gaara and the small blonde Gan seemed to get along, and spent the entire wait for the food chatting, whispering and laughing. Well, except Gaara. He just smirked, glared or sent ugly looks at Sasuke, who ignored them.

"Hey, you with the silver hair." Kakashi looked over at Kiri, who was pointing at him. He gave her an eye-smile.

"Yes?"

"Have you ever seen a ghost before?" she asked. Kakashi hummed while everyone turned to him.

"Maa...Once." he said after a moment. Kiri's eyes grew bright.

"When? Where? What did it look like?" she pushed. Kakashi sent a glance to Itachi, who just barely shook his head and looked pointedly at Sasuke. Kakashi turned back to the girl and gave another creepy smile.

"That's a story for another time. After all, I don't want you to lose your appetites before the meal has even started!" he said cheerfully. Most of the people around them gulped. Gaara, Sai and Kao were the exceptions.

Sasuke sat quietly as the meal was served. It was steak, mashed potatoes, gravy and carrots and peas. He did a quick scan of the table to see what everyone else was doing before tucking into his own meal.

He was almost finished when he felt something. Looking up, he searched with his eyes for the source of his unease. Everyone else was involved with their own conversations, and there were no odd sounds or lights. He shrugged and looked back at his plate, but the feeling didn't leave.

It was somewhat familiar, and he wracked his brains trying to figure out what it was. Then it hit him.

'_I'm being watched.'_

Slowly, almost unnoticeably, he let his eyes rake over the surroundings slowly, taking in each face. They stopped when his onyx met pale grey.

The girl Chi Dori was staring at him. Not a fan girl stare, or even a 'you're-hair-looks-like-a-duck's butt' stare.

No, it was more of a 'you-have-no-idea-what-you've-just-gotten-yourself-into' kind of stare.

Sasuke met her gaze, unflinching. He had to admit(mentally) that the fact she didn't shy away unnerved him a bit. No one had ever met his glare without at least blinking.

Except Itachi, but his glare was worse so he didn't count.

Eventually, growing tired of their staring game, Sasuke sighed and resumed his meal, trying to ignore the eyes on him. He managed to finish, somehow, and then waited for the rest to be done. He was full, tired and wanted to get to his room already.

His thoughts of sleep were interrupted by a loud laugh, and his eyes found the blonde known as Naruto. He was laughing with his friends, his eyes closed and his grin wide. He seemed to radiate with happiness, and Sasuke found that there was a small smile playing on his lips.

'_He has a nice laugh. I wouldn't mind hearing that more often.'_

"Well, everyone! It's almost time for bed! Don't forget, Sora, Mizuru, it's your turn to do the dishes tonight. Everyone else please clear the table, and then help our guests find their beds. Naruto, you are to share your room with Sasuke-kun. Is that understood?" Iruka stated, placing a hand on his hip. Naruto looked like he was going to argue, but when he caught sight of Iruka's expression he cowered, sighed and nodded. Iruka beamed.

"Good! Now then, everyone, you know your jobs. Kakashi-san, you and your team can feel free to start whatever it is you need to do. The children and my colleagues have this sorted. Just call if you need anything." With that, Iruka shooed the younger children towards the kitchen.

Sasuke stood, handing his plate to Kamurou who was reaching for it. The boy took it and a few others before starting to head towards the kitchen.

It all happened so fast, Sasuke was still unsure of the order. There was a loud cracking sound, and then Kao was ramming into his brother, knocking him out of the way as the light overhead came crashing down onto the floor where they had been moments before.

The younger children screamed, Kakashi and Itachi were on their feet and Iruka and the other caretakers were there in an instant.

"What happened?" Asuma demanded. Kamurou was shaking, his body wrapped up in his brother's arms protectively. Kao rocked him slightly before looking up at the man.

"I'm not sure. There was just a loud crack and I only just noticed that the light was starting to fall in time." He said. Kamurou let out a shaky breath, leaning into his brother's embrace slightly.

The boy Junkyo was kneeling beside them, his face twisted with worry. Asuma eyed the broken lighting fixture and sighed.

"This is the third time in a month." He mumbled. Kakashi perked up at this.

"The third time you say? Do light fixtures often break?"

"No. It's the third time this light fixture has broken. But what gets me is that it's brand new! We even tore up the floorboards in the room upstairs to make sure there were no rotten boards or cracks." Kurenai said, crossing her arms and shaking her head sadly.

Itachi walked over to the rubble and knelt down. He examined the end of the cord, his lips turning down in a frown. "Strange."

"What is it, brother?" Sasuke asked, walking over. Itachi held the cord up.

"It's been sliced through, as if by a knife." He said calmly.

There were several gasps from some of the children.

"It's the work of a ghost!" Kiri said, complete certainty in her voice. Kuerani and Asuma shared a look before the woman turned to face the children.

"Alright everyone, it's time for bed. And no arguments! Take your plates to the kitchen and go to your rooms. Now!" she said sternly. The younger ones slowly started to file out. Itachi looked over to where Naruto was. The blonde was staring at the light, his eyes flickering with fear. Turning to his younger brother, he placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Looks like you're going to have your work cut out for you." He murmered into Sasuke's ear. The younger raven studied the blonde and sighed.

"Naruto!" he called out. " I'm supposed to be staying in your room. Can you show me where it is?"

Naruto nodded, turning to say goodnight to his friends. Gaara was glaring pure murder at the Uchiha, but Sasuke could care less. He stood by the doorway, waiting for Naruto to come by.

"He finds it funny, he does."

Sasuke looked down at the small, barely audible voice. Standing beside him and staring at the light fixture, was the raven girl Chi Dori. Sasuke quirked an eyebrow.

"What does that mean?"

"He always does this. He thinks it's funny. He likes watching us scream, he does. Sometimes he pulls on our hair or clothes. He wants to scare us." Her voice was empty, as if she was repeating a recorded message.

"Who are you talking about?" Sasuke asked, utterly confused. She looked up at him, her pale grey eyes blank. Then, a very disturbed smile spread across her face.

"The ghost. He's a very scary ghost, he is. He wants to hurt us all, he does. He likes the sounds of screaming, he does. Soon, he'll start to do things to make us scream. Just you wait, you must! Just you wait!" she gave a giggle that sent shivers down Sasuke's spine.

As she trotted off, still giggling, Sasuke couldn't help but stare after her. Aside from her strange way of talking, she looked like she hadn't...been all there, really.

He was wondering if she may have had some kind of disorder when Naruto walked up to him, a grin in place. "Hey, teme! Ready to go to bed?"

"Hn. Sure. Do you want me to hold your hand while we walk through the dark?" Sasuke asked sarcastically. Naruto's grin was replaced with a scowl, and he pushed past Sasuke.

"Come on teme. If you get lost I won't come looking for you." He warned. Sasuke snorted, but grabbed his bag from its place by the door, waved goodnight to his brother and the others and followed the blonde to the second floor.

* * *

When they arrived at the door to Naruto's room, Sasuke looked around, noting that they were at the very end of the hall. Also, the door next to them had a 'no entry' sign on it. He tapped the blonde's shoulder. "What's in this room?"

Naruto looked over at the neighbouring door and shrugged. "Nothing. The roof kind of caved a bit and the floor has a few holes. They're going to renovate it as soon as they get the spare cash." He said nonchalantly. He pulled the handle to his own room and swung the door open.

Sasuke stared at the door next to them, his mind working overtime. '_so, we're at the end of the hall, away from the other rooms. Also, the only room next to his is empty. So that means no one can hear what happens in his room...'_

Sasuke shook his head, trying to squash the perverted thoughts that were trying to break into his mind. He remembered his brother's warning about not molesting the blonde.

'_That might be a bit hard. I hope he doesn't sleep in the nude...or maybe I do, but if he does I might lose it...ugh, this is going to be a long week.'_

"Welcome to my room! Well, I guess it's our room now, since you're going to be here for a while." Naruto said, and he went to his bed and slumped down. Sasuke stepped in and looked around. The walls were painted a creamy colour, and the carpet was a rust red colour. Naruto had put up several posters of bands and movies, as well as pictures of him and his friends. There was a calendar as well. The blonde's bed had a comfy looking duvet. However, it was orange. Bright orange.

Sasuke's eyes hurt just looking at it.

On the nightstand was a small, digital clock, a photo and a small ball. On the windowsill was a small potted plant, its green leaves lush and vibrant. Naruto obviously took good care of it.

"Well, what do you think? You'll be in that bed over there, of course. And feel free to put up some posters or something. But nothing scary. That's my rule. Also, no emo shit either." Naruto said, eyeing Sasuke's black shirt and skinny jeans. Sasuke glared at him.

"I'm not emo." He said and threw his bag on the empty bed. The cover was, thankfully, just a soft blue. He could live with that. He sat down, glad to find that the bed was reasonable soft.

"Okay, whatever. Do you need help unpacking?" Naruto asked, scratching his cheek distractedly. Sasuke thought for a moment, before shaking his head.

"Nah. I'm good. I haven't got that much, so it's fine." He said. Naruto nodded, looking towards the window.

Sasuke opened his bag and pulled out some sleepwear. He quickly pulled off his shirt, folding it up and stuffing it into his bag. He was about to reach for his sleep shirt when he noticed the blonde was staring at him. He slowed his movement down a bit, keeping the blonde in his peripheral vision. It looked like Naruto was enjoying the sight, at least a little bit. Growing bold, Sasuke stopped reaching for his shirt and instead started to stretch. He wanted to see how interested the blonde was.

When his arms were high above his head, he arched his back a bit, and inwardly smirked when a light tinge painted Naruto's face. He decided to end the teasing. For now, anyway.

"See something you like, dobe?" he asked, turning to the blonde, smirk still in place. Naruto gulped, turning away and pouting. His face was a bit redder.

"N-no. I'm not like that, teme." He huffed.

'_Oh, I beg to differ.' _Sasuke thought, but decided not to press the issue. He changed into his sleep wear rather fast before throwing his bag down at the foot of his bed. He pulled back the covers and climbed into his own bed.

Naruto did the same, and soon they were both buried deep in the soft comfort of bed. Sasuke was about to go to sleep when he realized they'd forgotten to turn off the light.

"Shit. The light." He mumbled.

"Don't worry. I got it." Naruto said sleepily. He reached over to his nightstand and grabbed the ball. With aim that had to have been perfected from many attempts, he threw it across the room, hitting the light switch perfectly and turning it off. They heard the ball roll a bit before coming to a halt. Sasuke turned to face Naruto in the dark.

"Impressive." He heard Naruto snigger.

"Practice. Lots and lots of practice."

Sasuke chuckled lightly before closing his eyes. He remembered his job and quickly spoke. "If you need to go anywhere at night, just wake me up. My brother assigned me to be your personal ghost repellent." He joked. Naruto turned to him, his blue eyes illuminated even in the dark.

"Really? So you mean you won't mind if I wake you up just to go to the bathroom or something?"

"No. No choice anyway. I'm not really useful for anything else than manual labour and helping keep people calm. Besides," he shifted, turning his back on Naruto, "I don't mind waking up to help you." He mumbled.

There was a moment of silence, before "Thanks, Sasuke."

He smiled in the dark, and sent a mental thank you to his brother.

In the living room, Itachi suddenly felt as if he wanted to hug his younger brother. He blinked, before shaking his head and continuing to watch the screens, monitoring each of the rooms.

* * *

Sasuke wasn't sure what he'd been dreaming about, but he knew it involved him, a large sack of potatoes, and a slug that rode on his shoulder continually telling him to fuck off.

...Yeah, he had no clue either.

But his dream was interrupted when he was shaken slightly, a small, tentative voice whispering into his ear. "Sasuke?"

He opened one eye blearily, unable to see in the dark. He could, however feel hot breath on his face, and when his eye slowly adjusted he saw the outline of spiky hair.

"Mnaruto?" he slurred. He slowly pushed himself up, wiping his eyes and blinking away the sleep. The blonde was crouched next to his bed, a nervous expression adorning his face. Sasuke clicked his neck and looked down, momentarily confused as to why the blonde had woken him up while it was still dark. Then he remembered his job. "What is it? Do you need the bathroom?" he asked, yawning.

Naruto chewed his lip, before nodding. "Y-yeah. Sorry for w-waking you." He mumbled. Sasuke blinked, looking down at the blonde. '_Why is he talking so quietly? It's not even a whisper. And why was his voice shaking?' _"Are you okay? You sound a bit...oh." Realization struck the raven.

'_He's scared. Even though I'm here he's still afraid. Guess Itachi wasn't kidding when he said phobia.'_

"Um...it's just...well, I-I heard some weird noises when I woke up, so I'm not sure...if we should leave the r-room...but...I like, really need to go..." Naruto mumbled, glancing at the door. Sasuke followed his gaze, listening. He heard a slight creaking noise, and even though it was dark he didn't fail to notice Naruto's wince. He sighed.

"Dobe. That's just the house settling. This place is pretty worn, so the floorboards creak and stuff. The noises are nothing paranormal at all. Even my old house made these noises." He assured, pulling the covers back and stretching. He looked over at the clock and saw it was 3:17 am.

He stood, pulling Naruto to his feet and they made their way out of the room. Sasuke walked only slightly behind the blonde, allowing Naruto to lead the way while keeping in sight in case he got scared. They made it to the bathroom, and Sasuke waited outside while Naruto did his business.

He smirked slightly to himself at how childish the whole thing seemed. Naruto was 15, turning 16 soon, and yet he was still afraid of the dark. But Sasuke didn't really mind. After all, if he was the one to hold the blonde's hand at night, he wouldn't complain. He wouldn't lie. He found Naruto incredibly intriguing and pretty hot. Sasuke had known about his sexual preferences since he was 13. Almost everyone in Rei-Senzai knew too, with the exception of Sakura and Ino. They were still too new to know something like that.

The door opened and Naruto stepped out, looking a lot happier. He grinned at Sasuke.

"Are you still tired?" he asked. Sasuke shook his head. It was true. He didn't feel very tired at the moment. Naruto's grin widened and his eyes glinted mischievously. "Good. Then let's go raid the fridge for some desert, ne?" he grabbed Sasuke's forearm and pulled him towards the stairs. Sasuke just went along.

* * *

They reached the first floor, and then Naruto switched to stealth mode. When Sasuke sent him a questioning glance he shrugged. "If Iruka caught me doing this, he'd refuse to give me desert for a week. So, since I know what a light sleeper he is, as well as the fact that his room is near the kitchen, I have to be a ninja." The blonde started tiptoeing down the hall, Sasuke walking normally behind. He'd always been light-footed, so his steps made no noise. Naruto noticed this and pouted.

"That's not fair! When I walk normally, I sound like an elephant passing through!" he whispered. Sasuke smirked but said nothing.

Together, they reached the kitchen and Naruto made a beeline for the fridge. He opened it and let out a delighted squeak when he saw there was still some cake left.

"Sweet! Do you want some?" he asked, looking over at Sasuke, who shook his head.

"I don't like sweets." Naruto's eyes bulged and he gasped.

"What kind of _alien _are you?" he demanded dramatically, but turned and pulled a piece of cake out for himself anyway. Setting it on the table, he reached over and grabbed a fork before sitting and digging in. Sasuke watched him nibble on the cake excitedly, a joyful gleam in those blue eyes.

"Mmm! This is so tasty! You don't know what you're missing, teme!" Naruto said after a rather large bite. Some cream had missed and clung to his cheek. Sasuke smiled and sauntered over. He stopped in front of the blonde and reached out a thumb. Naruto watched him curiously as Sasuke moved his thumb to the blonde's face. His breath hitched as Sasuke swiped his thumb over his lower lip before moving onto his cheek.

Sasuke pulled his now cream covered digit away, and sucked the cream off of it. He mentally laughed at the bright blush that now painted itself over Naruto's cheeks and nose.

"T-teme! I thought y-you didn't like sweets!" Naruto stammered, trying to will away his blush. Sasuke smirked.

"In your case, I might make an exception."

They stared at each other, Naruto's face going redder and Sasuke's smirk growing wider. The blonde opened his mouth to say something, but another voice beat him to it.

"Good morning, Sasuke. Naruto-kun."

Sasuke, rather skilfully, slapped his hand over Naruto's mouth to muffle his shriek. The raven turned his head to the door and nodded at Shino, who entered the kitchen.

"Why are you awake at this hour?" He asked. Shino paused, turning to him. How the guy could see through the dark glasses he wore was a mystery. '_Maybe they're night vision goggles or something.'_ Sasuke thought.

"I might ask you the same question. It is most unlike you to rise at this hour purely to come and lick cream off of other people's faces." Shino said. Sasuke almost punched him for that. Almost.

"I'm doing my job." He hissed. Shino raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't know Itachi added licking to the list. I feel sorry for your client."

"Mmmmf!" Sasuke turned and saw Naruto was going slightly blue. He pulled his hand back and the blonde took a deep gulp of air. "Holy shit, I thought I was going to die!" he gasped.

"If you did, we might have finally found proof of ghostly activity." Shino said, reaching into a cupboard and grabbing a glass. Sasuke leant back against the counter.

"So, still no sign of your imaginary ghosts then?" he asked. Shino didn't even turn around.

"Apparently so. Itachi has been monitoring the rooms for seven hours. Kakashi-sensei has only just relieved him if duty."

"Well, I'm not surprised. I don't know how many times I have to say it. Ghosts aren't real."

"And I need only remember that that line is part of your job as well. After all," Shino turned, a glass of water in his hand and a smirk on his face, "you are our Bastard, aren't you?"

Sasuke growled. "Get bent, Aburame. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'll go stomp on a couple of moths." He smirked when the other's face darkened.

"Don't hurt any insects, Uchiha. I'll kill you." And with that threat, Shino left.

Naruto followed him with his eyes, before turning to Sasuke. "Why would he kill you for stomping on moths? Why would you even suggest that?" he asked. Sasuke snorted.

"That guy has a really strong obsession with bugs. He's got thousands at home as pets. Walking into his bedroom is like walking into an underground hole. Every bug under the sun is in there." He said.

Naruto shuddered. He'd never been much of a fan of bugs. They were annoying as hell and some of them were downright creepy. He finished up his cake, quickly washed the plate and stacked it away before making his way out the door, Sasuke close behind. They made their way back to their room and climbed back into bed.

Sasuke lay still, already beginning to drift.

Then there came a long, drawn out howl. It sounded like a mix between a wolf's cry and a man. He sat bolt upright, listening to it carefully. "What in the hell?"

Naruto heard the cry, and dived under the covers, but they did nothing to drown out the terrifying sound. "W-what i-is that?" he stammered. Sasuke shook his head, listening and trying to figure out if he'd heard it before. But it was so eerie and definitely not something one hears daily. He shrugged slightly, his eyes trained on the door.

The howl died down. He heard Naruto breathe a sigh of relief.

"That was really weird. It creeped me ou –"

CRASH!

"FUCK!" Sasuke couldn't stop the shout of surprise that escaped him. It sounded like someone had just tossed a huge piece of furniture around.

Naruto had bolted from his bed and was now clinging to Sasuke, his eyes wide and trained on the ceiling. "S-sasuke, it came from the t-third f-floor!" he whimpered. Sasuke looked down, hesitated, and then wrapped his arms around the blonde, tracing soothing circles on his back.

"Don't worry. It's nothing. Whatever it is, my boss is probably going to check it out now. I'm sure with his keen hearing, he heard that. And if he didn't hear that he heard me." He chuckled slightly.

Sure enough there was a knock on the door and it opened, revealing a very alert Kakashi and a tired Itachi.

"Sasuke, did that crash come from here?" Kakashi asked. Sasuke shook his head.

"It came from the third floor. But I think it was the room right above us." He said. Kakashi stared at him, before nodding. He turned to Itachi. "I'm going to go check it out. That's one of the rooms there have been reports of. I'll take Lee with me. Also, wake Sakura, Ino, Hinata and Neji. Have the girls go check on the younger children with Iruka and the others. And tell Neji to do a Byakugan sweep of the house." He ordered. Itachi nodded. They were about to leave when Sasuke interrupted.

"What about me? Am I not doing anything?" he asked. The two men turned to him, identical smirks on their faces.

"What are you talking about, Sasuke? You've already got your hands full with your job, haven't you?" Itachi said.

Sasuke blinked before looking down. Indeed, he was still cradling Naruto in his arms. The blonde was staring at the men, before looking up slowly and meeting Sasuke's eyes.

...Cue the major blush on both boys.

"ITACHI!" Sasuke yelled, and he heard the sound of his brother's laughter echoing through the hall.

* * *

The next morning Kakashi revealed that the crash was a huge dresser in the store room above Naruto's room that had toppled over. The thing that confused them all was that the dresser was way too large and heavy to be moved by a single person alone.

"So, what do you think?" Itachi asked, sitting with his fifth cup of coffee in the last two hours. Kakashi sighed, rubbing his temples from lack of sleep.

"I'm thinking we might need to increase our observations. Especially on the third floor. You mentioned that most of the accidents have occurred there?" he asked, turning to Iruka. The brunette nodded.

Sasuke was sitting on the couch between, much to his discomfort, Sakura and ino. However, it seemed they were far too interested in hearing about ghosts than hearing about him, so for once he could bare it. Shino, Tenten and Shikamaru were sitting by the monitors...monitoring. Lee and Kiba were sitting to the side, listening attentively. Sasuke was surprised that the dog-boy was able to sit still for so long.

Asuma and Kurenai were in the school room, with the rest of the orphans. Sasuke had wanted to watch Naruto study, but Itachi had dragged him away, telling him that this was work too.

He didn't even try to suppress his yawn. Itachi sent him a glare but said nothing.

"Oi guys, come over here. This is a rerun of the video in that room last night." Shikamaru called.

The rest crowded around him, staring intently at the screen. He replayed it, showing the dresser standing by the far wall like it should have been. When the time struck 4:00 am sharp, the dresser suddenly shot across the room, lading heavily in the centre. In the background, they heard Sasuke's voice, very faintly, shout an obscenity. Itachi smirked, turning to his younger brother.

"My, little brother, what foul language. Perhaps I should ground you." He said. Sasuke glared at him.

"Fuck you, Itachi." He snapped. Kakashi chuckled, but it didn't reach his eyes. He told Shikamaru to replay the tape a few more times. When it was the fifth time, at exactly 3:59 am, he suddenly yelled "pause it!" scaring half the crew to death in the process. Shikamaru did as asked, and Kakashi smugly pointed to the wall right behind the dresser. There was a whitish cloud, almost like fog, but gathered in one place. The R.A's gasped, Neji sighed, Kiba whooped, Lee grinned, Itachi smirked and Sasuke just scoffed and turned around.

"Where are you going little brother?"

"To do my other job. It's far more interesting than this." He said, and left the room. However, Kiba followed, much to the raven's annoyance.

"What's your other job?" the brunette asked eagerly. He grinned in reply to Sasuke's glare.

Eventual, Sasuke sighed. "Itachi told me I had to keep an eye on Naruto. He's got a phobia of ghosts, so he gets nervous easily. I have to make sure he doesn't freak out over nothing."

Kiba faltered slightly.

"I didn't know he had a phobia. Is he really liable to panic at signs of ghostly activity?" he asked slowly. Sasuke looked over at him incredulously.

"Didn't you see the way he was clinging to my arm when we were setting up the equipment yesterday? That should've been your first clue. You're as oblivious as ever." He said. Kiba glared at him.

"Dude, I thought he was doing that because he likes you!" he hissed.

It was Sasuke's turn to falter. Kiba noticed this and smirked. "Looks like _you're_ as oblivious as ever." He sneered. Sasuke growled, but his curiosity won over his anger.

"Why would you say he likes me?"

Kiba snorted. "Gee, maybe the fact he kept asking me questions about you, including the oh-so-famous 'does he have a girlfriend? Oh, he's gay? Does he have a boyfriend then?' question."

"What did you tell him?" Sasuke demanded. Kiba's grin widened as he turned to look at the raven.

"I told him that you and Lee were going at it like rabbits 24/7."

Sasuke tried to kill him then and there. He did try very hard. But Kiba had already predicted this and rushed ahead, cackling hysterically. They ran all the way down the hall before Sasuke finally managed to grab the back of the dog-lovers shirt, yanking him back to start throttling him. Kiba, despite being strangled, couldn't stop laughing, and he just started trying to pull Sasuke's hands off his throat.

"S'suke! I bwas kidngh!" Kiba sputtered. Sasuke glared at him, but loosened his hands slightly. Kiba gasped for air, still chuckling. When he was able to breathe normally, he turned to Sasuke, grinning.

"So, you like Naruto eh?" he asked, rubbing his throat.

"Hn. That's none of your business." Sasuke snapped and started walking again. Kiba only laughed at his annoyance and followed after him. They went downstairs and headed for the school room. When they arrived, the door was slightly open. There was plenty of chattering going on inside, and they decided to peek through the crack to see what was happening instead of just barging through.

The younger children were all standing in a far corner with Kurenai, who seemed to be teaching them some kind of rhyme. The older children were sitting at a table with Asuma, and were talking heatedly.

"I'm telling you it's not like that!" Naruto was saying, his glare directed at Sora. Said boy just laughed.

"Oh please. We can all see it. You're head over heels in love." He cackled. Naruto growled, and made a valiant attempt at jumping over the table to grab him, but Gaara reached up and yanked him back down in time.

"Don't go jumping to conclusions, Sora." Asuma said, but he was smiling knowing at the blonde. Sora huffed, crossing his arms.

"But it is pretty obvious that you feel something, Naruto." Temari said, reaching over and ruffling the shorter blonde's hair. Naruto pouted at the gesture.

"You guys! Why are you teasing me about this!" he whined. Kao, Kankuro and Sora replied in unison with a "Because it's fun!".

Kankuro was kicked in the shins by Temari and Gaara, Sora was whacked by Asuma and Kao got hit by Kamurou.

"Enough. Leave Naruto alone. It's none of our business anyway. If he likes the guy, he likes the guy. And if he wants to have wild, crazy monkey se-" Kamurou was silenced when both Gaara and Naruto punched him square in the face. He jerked back, clutching his nose and groaning.

Kao, who had been laughing at his little brother's speech soon glared at the two, his arms wrapping protectively around his twin. "Watch it! I don't care how angry you are, if you hurt my brother again you'll be sorry!" he threatened.

"Well he mustn't say shit like that!" Naruto screeched. Asuma slammed a hand on the table angrily.

"Language! And enough of this. We are dropping this subject right now or else I'll have you all cleaning out the third storeroom!" The table went silent immediately, and Naruto, Kamurou and Sora paled slightly.

"I'm sorry, Naruto. I didn't mean to tease." Kamurou said, still holding his nose. Naruto shook his head slowly.

"It's okay. Sorry for decking you like that." He said. Kamurou nodded.

"Alright, back to the topic before our little distraction. Remember, this is a debate, so you choose a side. The topic of our debate today will be... uniforms. Whether or not uniforms are a necessity in schools and why students should wear them." (AN: My class had a debate about this, so I'm just using it. I was against uniforms!)

Everyone went silent, undoubtedly thinking of their arguments. Asuma clapped his hands together.

"Alright, let's begin. Obviously, I'm voting for uniforms. So, who is on my side?" he asked. Temari, Sora, Sai and Kamurou raised their hands. Asuma nodded and they all moved to the one side.

Gaara, Naruto, Kankuro, Kao and Mizuru moved to the other side until everyone was facing each other. Asuma nodded. "Who wants to start?"

Gaara sighed and stood up, and the others focused on him. "I think uniforms are a waste of time, because students wouldn't follow the uniform rules anyway, so it's pointless." He sat back down, folding his arms and staring into space. Asuma nodded, stroking his chin.

"That's a good way to start. That leaves little room for an argument as you have a solid point. But I'm going to counter that with the following. If the school chooses and enforces strict punishment for uniform violations, then that problem will be lessened greatly. Therefore, not only will children wear uniforms, but their discipline levels will improve as well." He said and leant back in his seat. Sora snickered triumphantly. Gaara just blinked and shrugged. Temari stood up next.

"I also think that uniforms will help to solve any social clashes. After all, with students in large public schools, they are often judged and treated according to the clothing they wear. In that scenario, if someone doesn't have the latest fashion or has an unusual style, the other children are likely to tease them, and that would lead to fights and gangs." She said, waving her hands animatedly. Kankuro rolled his eyes, not even bothering to stand up.

"If someone gets teased by someone else, then all they have to do is tell them to shove it. The only reason gangs would be formed is because someone is too insecure to deal with bullies themselves." He said. Temari scowled at him.

"Need I remind you of how you used to come running to me when the other kids made fun of your black cat hood?" she hissed. Kankuro's face fell and everyone else sniggered. Naruto was shaking, and Kao reached over to slap a hand on the brunette's back.

"Black cat hood, huh? That sounds adorable! You wouldn't happen to still have it, would you? I'd love to see it, Pinocchio!" he guffawed. Kankuro snarled at him.

"Shut up you freak."

Kao just laughed and stood up himself. "I think that uniforms are stupid, because often a person expresses their creativity and individuality through their dress style. And reffering back to Temari's arguement, it would be better to not have uniforms. Students will need to learn how to deal with people who look down on them because of their class or financial status because that's going to happen a lot in the real world. Better to get an early start than be overwhelmed later right?"

Sasuke and Kiba listened as the debate went further and further, ideas and arguments being tossed back and forth. So far, Asuma had remained quiet, just letting the kids come up with points.

Sora had said that the school uniforms for girls were hot, so they should be worn at all times. Mizuru had retorted to that by calling him a pervert and stating that some of the uniforms were inappropriate. Naruto had simply said that no one had invented orange uniforms, so he didn't like them. This had made Sasuke laugh silently. When Kiba heard him he had jumped back in horror.

"Holy crap! Uchiha Sasuke just laughed out loud! The world is ending!" he yelled. Sasuke had hissed for him to shut up, but it was too late. The door was opened and Asuma had looked down at them. The man had smiled.

"Well hello there, Sasuke-kun, Kiba-kun. So nice of you to stop by. Is there something wrong?" he asked. Kiba frowned sheepishly.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt the lesson." He said. Sasuke snorted.

"Moron."

"Sceptic."

"_Idiot_."

"_Princess_."

"Dog-breath."

"At least I don't have an _icicle _shoved up my _ass_!"

"No, you suffer from _constipation_, which is why your face is the way it is."

"You're an asshole! At least my hair doesn't look like a _ducks ass!_"

"And it's this same hair that has the _two _R.A's drooling. Whereas you struggle with _one _girl. How's things with Hinata going?"

"Bastard! Don't bring her into this!"

"Why, it's not like she's your girlfriend or anything."

"I'll have you know that me and Hinata have already gone pretty far –"

"Hello Neji." Sasuke called cheerfully.

Kiba did the most spastic spin around anyone had ever seen, his eyes wide. He literally twisted his head, lost balance in one arm and fell so that his ass was in the air, before shuffling around to face the other way.

All that in the span of ten seconds. When he was greeted with an empty hallway, he turned back, glaring painful death at Sasuke.

"Oops. Sorry. It was just your intelligence levels flying away." Sasuke said with a shrug. Kiba growled.

"Dude, that's _not _even funny. If Neji had heard that, he'd skin me alive!"

Sasuke shrugged again, an evil smirk on his face. "Well I guess you'd better be nice to me then."

Kiba stared at him in shock. "Are you _blackmailing _me?"

"Yes."

"You really are a bastard."

"And _you _had better get me a tomato sandwich in the next twenty minutes."

"No!"

I think Neji's in the living room. I suddenly feel like talking to him."

"Wait! Okay fine I'll get your stupid sandwich!" Kiba snarled and stood, bowing slightly to Asuma, who had watched the exchange with great amusement, and headed towards the kitchen.

Sasuke smirked and stood too. Asuma eyed him before opening the door and motioning inside. "Care to join our debate? We're about to start talking about blackmail." He smiled.

Sasuke's smirk widened and he went inside the room.

He didn't notice the eerie glow down the corridor.

* * *

**Okay, there we go! How was it? I hope it wasn't too disappointing! Anyway, yeah, so the ghost stuff is starting to pick up right off the bat. This whole story runs through the course of like, a week, two weeks or so. So yeah the stuff happens pretty fast.**

**Moving on, I'll stress again that I don't know how soon the next chapter will come. I need to plan it out, because I didn't really plan this one out and I think that it didn't work out the best way, but I'm too distracted(lazy) to rewrite it. So don't expect chapters to come to fast.**

**That aside, thank you for reading this, and I hope you're enjoying it! Please review, as they motivate me to write! And feel free to suggest spooky events in reviews. They can help me add to the ghostly activities! I'd love suggestions!**

**Many thanks!**

**Juura99  
**


	3. A Game of Matchmaker

**Okay, so I'm pretty happy with the way this chapter came out. And what's more is that it hasn't been that long since I last updated! YAY!**

**Alright, so, this chap focuses mainly on Sasuke and Naruto realizing their feelings...which we've all already realized, 'cause we're all so smart! ^_^**

**And then the last bit of this chapter...mehehehehe...ENTER THE POLTERGEIST!...yes, the more serious ghost shit begins! And from here on out, it will begin to get hectic.**

**So, Warnings: swearing, boy love, plotting twins and a pissed off poltergeist..sorta...**

**Disclaimer: Dude, if I owned Naruto, do you really think Sasuke would have left that gorgeous blonde's ass for Orochimaru's instead? EWW!...so no, I don't own.  
**

**

* * *

A Game of Matchmaker.**

It had been two days since the last supernatural event. The wardrobe that was thrown across the room being the last event. Since that, nothing else had happened. No noises, no moving objects, no near fatal accidents. It's like the ghosts just...disappeared.

The crew of Rei-Senzai, excluding Sasuke, were rather disappointed. Was there nothing paranormal in the orphanage after all?

Kiba, Lee and Itachi were walking down the hall early in the morning. The sun was only just rising. They had been searching yet another room but to no avail. Kiba was extremely unhappy about the lack of spirits, and he made a point of telling everyone about his displeasure.

"This sucks! I thought we'd get some excitement from this job!" he whined, trailing his fingers along the wall. Lee nodded sympathetically from beside him.

"I can understand your disappointment. Gai-sensei is usually correct in guessing that there is ghostly activity, but there is nothing more to suggest something here. After all, as Sasuke said about the video, the white figure may have been dust. The wardrobe is really the only thing that is keeping us here."

Itachi sighed, his eyes lowering. He was getting a bit frustrated at the lack of work. Kakashi had Shikamaru and Tenten on camera watch. The R.A's were assisting the caretakers. Shino was doing audio. Neji and Hinata spent most of their time searching for traces of spirits, but they couldn't seem to find anything. The mansion was huge, however, so there was still a chance they'd stumble across something. But Itachi had nothing to do.

Even Sasuke had work. That work being keeping an eye on the blonde. As it turns out, he was the only one who had any sort of fear of ghosts.

"And then there's all those kids! That Sora guy is annoying! And the Sabaku Gaara kid? Dude, he just freaks me out! The twins seem okay, but I'm a bit wary of the older one. He looks like a fighter. And then- what's that?" Kiba stopped mid rant, holding up a hand and listening. Itachi and Lee stopped too, their ears perking up.

There was the sound of whispering from a nearby room. It sounded like...three, four different voices? Itachi motioned for them to stay quiet while silently heading to the room. When he got there, he leaned in and listened carefully. There were four voices. And they were talking about two people.

"...eally does like him! I can see it! We should do it!"

"...don't think Naruto would like that..."

"..ho cares? It's for his own good!.."

"..etting him laid? How is that for his own good? And I'm still not sure about that Sasuke guy..."

"...Come on Kamurou! That Uchiha likes Naruto as much as Naruto likes him! They so want each other!"

This was interesting.

Itachi looked over his shoulder at Lee and Kiba who had also been listening. They looked up, identical grins on their faces. Itachi smirked in response.

It seems they had found some work.

* * *

The oldest Uchiha pulled the door open, and he and the other two stepped in before closing the door. Kao, Kamurou, Junkyo and Konohamaru were sitting in the corner and jumped when they entered. Kao stood up.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he demanded. Junkyo shuffled behind Kamurou. Konohamaru tried to hide behind a book in his hand.

Yeah, we can guess how well that worked.

"Us? We were just passing by and happened to hear a bit of your most interesting conversation. And I notice it involves my little brother. Please be so kind as to tell me what you were up to." Itachi said with a smile. That smile made Kao cower slightly.

The older twin looked at his brother and partners in crime. Kamurou sighed. "Tell him. It's his brother after all." He said. Kao straightened up and looked directly at Itachi, which was an impressive feat.

"Okay, so here's the story in a nutshell. Naruto thinks your little brother is hot and has feelings for him. We all think that your brother has the hots for Naruto as well. So, we were planning on playing a game of matchmaker and hooking them up, since they seem to like each other so much. There, done, end of story. So, what do you want to say?" he finished, crossing his arms.

Kiba and Lee stared at him for a moment before turning to Itachi. He met their gazes. "You think we should help them?" the raven asked.

Kiba grinned. "If what they say about Naruto is true, then we really should!"

Lee nodded. "After all, they are right about Sasuke. Should we not help our friend find love?"

Itachi sighed, but a softer smile made its way onto his face. Sasuke was lucky this time. The one he liked actually liked him back. He looked over to the crimson head and smirked.

"Well, how may we assist in getting those two together? I assume you already know they share a room?" he asked. Kao's smirk rivalled his own.

"Oh, I know that. And we have a few idea's that might help push things along. First of all is..."

* * *

Sasuke woke up, and had the strangest feeling that he shouldn't get out of bed. He brushed it off. Sleepily he turned over, blinking to try and clear his vision. When the room came into focus, he immediately stared at the bed on the opposite side. The orange comforter was bunched up, cocooning the sleeping figure inside. The only proof that Naruto was there was the small tuft of blonde hair sticking out the one end.

Yawning and pushing himself up slightly, Sasuke looked over to the clock on Naruto's bedside and groaned. It was only 7:12 am. Today was a holiday, so the orphans were spared from school. The fact that it was Friday was a bonus.

All hail long weekends!

The raven considered going back to sleep, but he shook that thought away soon. There was no way he'd fall asleep again, so it was pointless to try. He sighed unhappily, and sat up, pushing the covers off and climbing unsteadily to his feet. He crept towards the door, almost killing himself when he stepped on the ball Naruto used to turn off the light. He cursed under his breath, reaching out and grabbing the door handle to save himself. The door swung open, taking him with it.

The end result was him hanging from the door handle while his feet were still planted on the floor near his bed. He was completely diagonal, and struggled silently with the effort not to fall.

By some miracle he made it to his feet without falling and waking the blonde. Muttering about bad mornings, he stepped out, closing the door slightly before heading to the bathroom.

* * *

Kao, Kiba and Lee watched as Sasuke stepped out of the room and headed towards the toilettes. As soon as the raven was out of sight, the three ducked out of the abandoned room and slipped into the bedroom next door.

They were greeted with a large orange cocoon that served as Naruto's sleeping place. Kao grinned. Lee stood by the door in case Sasuke came back earlier.

"We should have about five minutes until Sasuke comes back."Kiba whispered.

"That's enough. After all, I've done this before in less time." Kao replied as he slowly unwrapped the blanket to reveal a snoozing Naruto. When the blonde was out of his cocoon, Kao's smile turned wicked. He waved a hand for Kiba to come over.

"Okay, now take his arm and place it like this. Good, now his shirt..."

* * *

Sasuke walked towards the room, his eyes half closed and he yawned for about the fifth time since he had left for the bathroom. Maybe he could force himself to sleep?

When he neared the room, he looked up at the sound of snickering. His eyes darted to the door next to Naruto's, the one that led to the abandoned room. He listening carefully, but no sounds came to him, so he dismissed it as his imagination.

He opened the door and stepped inside, closed the door and turned back to the room. He did a double take, his eyes widening dramatically.

"Holy shit." He whispered.

Naruto was lying on his bed, his arms slung upwards and his wrists close together in a very submissive pose. The top button of his black pyjama's was undone, exposing a sliver of caramel skin. His right leg was hanging over the edge of the bed, and his left was curled in slightly. His pants were dangerously low.

Sasuke swallowed thickly. Naruto looked very vulnerable and very sexy.

'_Oh shit. He's so hot! God, I just want to take him, but I can't! Dammit, Sasuke leave! Leave before you do something regrettable!_' It seems his mind wasn't getting through to his body, as he found himself edging closer to the blonde angel.

When he was standing right next to the bed, he leaned over slightly. Naruto murmured a bit, tilting his head towards Sasuke in his sleep.

The raven's breath caught when he realized he was nose to nose with the blonde. '_When in the hell did I get so close?_'

"..Mnnn..." Naruto mumbled sleepily as Sasuke's warm breath washed over his face. Sasuke stared down at the peaceful face below him, something stirring in his chest.

Or was it in his groin? He couldn't tell anymore. He was too distracted by the plump pink lips that belonged to the tanned blonde. Naruto let out a sigh.

A blue eye opened. Then the other.

Dark onyx and azure blue met. They both blinked once.

"GYAAAAAAAAAA!" Naruto let out a shriek, shooting up and smashing his head into Sasuke's so ahrd the raven shot back and fell to his own bed, yelling in pain as his skull throbbed.

"OUCH! OH GOD THAT HURTS!"

"WHAT WERE YOU DOING TEME?" Naruto yelled angrily, holding the covers to his chest like an embarrassed girl caught in the shower. Sasuke rolled over, clutching his head and moaning. He opened his eyes only to see white flashes and closed them again, hissing in pain.

"Teme! What the fuck were you doing?" Naruto demanded again, his voice laced with embarrassment.

"I wasn't doing anything!" Sasuke snapped. It was way too early for this.

"Like hell you weren't! You were practically nose to nose with me! What the hell was that about!"

"Did you ever think there was a reason for that?"

"That's what I'm fucking asking you, you ass!"

"Dobe! I was checking to make sure you were breathing!" Sasuke said lamely. His head must have been hit harder than he thought. '_Oh crap. That's my brilliant excuse? I'm so fucked._'

Naruto stared at him, his mouth open. "Are you on crack or something?"

Sasuke glared at him. "No."

"Really?"

"Really."

"_Really_ really?"

"Shut up dobe! I'm not on crack dammit!"

"Don't tell me to shut up teme!"

"I'll tell you whatever the fuck I want to!"

"Fuck you teme!"

"Good morning."

Both boys jumped at the cheerful voice that greeted them. They turned to see Sai standing in the doorway, a wide smile on his face. Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the fake smile.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. Naruto threw a pillow at him.

"Don't talk to him like that! What's up Sai?" the blonde asked, standing up and heading to his friend. Sai looked Naruto up and down, before yet another smile broke out on his face.

"You're looking incredibly sexy this morning, Naruto-kun."

Naruto went red, glancing down at himself. He pulled his pants up a bit and buttoned his shirt. "I'm sure I didn't leave this button undone." He mumbled. Sai tilted his head.

"Perhaps a ghosts tried to strip you? Maybe Sasuke-kun scared it off when he came to inspect you?" the pale boy suggested. Sasuke scoffed.

"Oh yeah sure." He said sarcastically. Naruto glared at him.

"What did you want Sai?"

"Just to let you know that Iruka-sensei has prepared an early breakfast for those who are awake. Feel free to come down and eat." With that Sai waved and left the room. Naruto sighed, turning to his wardrobe and opening the drawer to grab some clothes. He left the room after finding the outfit he wanted, but not before looking over his shoulder and saying "Teme, get dressed and head downstairs. Trust me, you don't want Iruka-sensei to force his cold breakfast on you."

Sasuke sighed, and stumbled to where he'd placed his clothes. His head was throbbing and his vision was blurred at the edges. '_Damn his head was _hard_!_' he thought grumpily.

The door opened just seconds after he'd pulled on his pants, and he looked over to see Kiba and Lee staring at him. They both wore shit-eating grins, and Sasuke was suspicious.

"What?" he asked. They shrugged.

"Nothing. Just wondering how you were doing." Kiba said innocently. Too innocently.

"What did you do?" Sasuke demanded, straightening up. Kiba plastered on an expression of shock.

"Me? Do anything? I have no idea what you're talking about!" he said and gasped dramatically. Lee was sniggering next to him. Sasuke growled, but decided to let it go. His head hurt enough as it was.

"Come on, let's go eat." He said and pushed past them. They followed, still grinning.

* * *

"Good morning, little brother. Ah, I see you have another head. Well then, good morning mini-Sasuke." Itachi said, bowing his head slightly and smirking at the glare he received. During the time it took to walk down to the first floor and locate the kitchen, a very large bump had appeared on Sasuke's head.

However, Naruto had one too, so he wasn't alone in the humiliation.

"Shut up Itachi." He grumbled, sliding into a seat and taking a plate of pancakes Iruka passed to him.

"That's quite a hefty bump. Would you like some ice, Sasuke-kun?" Iruka asked. He motioned to the other end of the table where Naruto was sitting with an ice pack pressed to his head. Sasuke nodded gratefully and Iruka returned with an ice pack moments later.

He sighed happily when the cold washed over his aching skull.

Ice was _good_.

"So, how exactly did you two manage to grow second heads?" Itachi asked, looking between the two. Naruto glared.

"Ask the teme! He was trying to do something while I was sleeping!" he said. Itachi raised his eyebrows, successfully hiding the amused smirk that threatened to break free. He turned to Sasuke.

"Little brother, I believe I told you not to molest him." He said calmly.

Oh, if looks could kill he'd be buried right by the Earth's core.

"Shut. Up. I-ta-chi!" Sasuke literally spat each syllable out. His face was red and his eyes were ablaze with anger and embarrassment. Naruto was also red, and was staring at his pancakes as if they were telling him the meaning of life. (**AN: **My pancakes told me! I swear it!...but I forgot what they said...)

Itachi just chuckled at his brother and went back to his meal. Sasuke did the same, vaguely wondering why the pancakes hadn't burst into flames underneath his glare. They really should have.

Kiba and Lee entered the room soon after that, and when they saw flushes on Sasuke and Naruto's faces, they grinned again, high fiving each other under the table.

"I think that that was a good start." Lee whispered. Kiba nodded eagerly.

"Yeah, 'cause now Naruto has a hint that Sasuke likes him. Now, we just need to do the same thing, the other way around." He whispered. They nodded to each other.

Part one of their matchmaking game was over.

* * *

Kao and Kamurou stood off to the side of the change rooms. Right now, that Sasuke guy was in there, getting changed into his swimming shorts. The caretakers had said that they were going to make a pool lunch, as in a barbeque. Everyone had decided that since it was a sunny day, they would go swimming.

Kao, Kiba, Kamurou, Lee, Konohamaru, Junkyo and Itachi had decided it was the perfect time to put the second phase of their game into play...no pun intended.

Right now, Konohamaru and Junkyo were heading to Naruto to make sure he needed to change again. Itachi, Lee and Kiba had made sure Sasuke struggled to find his swimsuit. And Itachi had done an important thing.

Just before leaving the change rooms, he'd stopped by his brother and whispered the words Kao had told him to pass on.

"A little birdie told me Naruto wouldn't make the first move, but would be eager to make the second."

Sasuke had been confused. Kao, from his hiding place had seen the arched eyebrow, and had snickered silently. He just hoped the Uchiha would figure it out in time.

And so, Sasuke was in the change room,...changing.

And Naruto should be heading there about now.

And Kao and his twin were standing outside the change room, towels in hand and poised to look like they had been walking.

"Stupid little morons!"

And that was their cue to _actually _walk. Naruto was storming down the hall, his current pair of swim shorts sporting a large stain of red paint.

Kamurou smirked. There was no way Iruka would let him in the pool with paint on his clothes. Junkyo and Konohamaru had thought out their little plan well. They steadily walked past Naruto.

The blonde opened the door and stepped inside, closing it behind him.

The twins spun around, bolted to the door and quickly pulled the nearby chair under the handle, barricading the door successfully.

"There we go. Now they'll have some time to...get to know each other. We just have to make sure no one comes to the change rooms for a while." Kao said, grinning at the door. Kamurou matched the face and the two snickered evilly.

Oh how they loved playing with people.

* * *

Sasuke was in the middle of pulling off his shirt when the door opened behind him. He pulled the blue material over his eyes and looked back. He froze.

Naruto had walked in, wearing nothing but a pair of bright orange shorts that had a large splattering of red paint on them. The paint looked pretty fresh. The blonde was too busy muttering angrily about annoying brats to notice the pale raven staring at him.

Sasuke watched as Naruto walked over to a locker, pulling it open and reaching in for another pair of swim shorts. He pulled out the black pair, dropping it on the bench nearby before reaching down to rip off his own.

As the tan fingers hooked into the waistband, Sasuke's brain snapped into action.

"WHOA!" he said loudly, and Naruto's back arched as he mentally screamed. Slowly, his back still curved inwards and fingers still hooked in his shorts, Naruto turned around to face Sasuke, his blue eyes wide and his teeth gritted together to stop any noise. When he spotted the raven, he deflated a bit.

"Geez, you gave me a fright! I didn't even notice you!" he sighed. Sasuke straightened up, a hand on his hip.

"Do you get scared of everything?" he asked. Naruto glared at him.

"Teme, not that kind of fright. More like a 'whoa-when-in-the-hell-did-you-get-here' fright than a 'holy-shit-a-ghost' kind of fright. It's not like you're scary or anything." Naruto crossed his arms, pouting a bit.

Imagine a bunch if flowers blooming around Sasuke's head and add a few sparkles.

Yeah, that's what he felt.

"Dobe." Was all he could say.

Naruto's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. '_Stupid teme. Stupid teme with his stupid insults and his stupid sneaking up on me and his stupid sexiness...aw fuck_.' His shoulders sagged heavily. That was now the fiftieth time he'd mentally called Sasuke sexy since he met the guy.

Curse the Uchiha's and their hotness. It was not fair on the poor blonde's brain!

Sasuke saw Naruto's sudden slump and wondered what was wrong. He took a slow step forwards, tilting his head to the side to try and catch a glimpse of the blonde's face. "Oi, you okay?"

Naruto looked up, surprised to see the concern in those onyx eyes. "Uh...yeah, fine. Just thinking." He said.

"About what?" Sasuke asked, curious. He took another couple of steps until he was about a two steps away from Naruto. Said blonde couldn't stop the light blush as he got a closer look at Sasuke's lean body. His shoulders were a bit broader than Naruto's, and he had a bit muscle too, leaving his chest defined but not overly so. The pale skin seemed smooth, like porcelain, and there wasn't a single blemish anywhere.

The guy was practically one of those creepy dolls that were definitions of perfection...Minus the creepiness.

"Would you like a picture? I think it would last longer." Sasuke said, and Naruto realized he'd been gawking like an idiot. His blush intensified. Sasuke, noticing this, smirked.

_'"A little birdie told me Naruto wouldn't make the first move, but would be eager to make the second."'_

Sasuke's eyes widened as his brother's words came back to him. Was this what he meant? Was Sasuke supposed to make a move? And did it mean Naruto would accept it and make one himself?

'_Worth a try. If this doesn't work, I'm going to kill Itachi._' He thought and took a breath to ready himself. He took the last two steps forward until he was inches from Naruto.

"T-teme! What are you doing?" Naruto asked, feeling his body heat up with the close proximity. Sasuke studied his face for a moment, before nodding to himself. '_Here goes everything_.'

"I want to see something. Feel free to kick my ass afterwards if you didn't like it or didn't want it." He said quickly, and before Naruto could question he leaned in and pressed their lips together.

It was like someone had dropped a rock on his head. Naruto's eyes widened as Sasuke moved his lips slowly against his. His hands hung limply by his side, unable to do anything. Sasuke's hands seemed a bit more productive, and reached up to cup his face. After a few moments where Naruto stood like a statue, Sasuke pulled back a bit. His eyes searched Naruto's face for any signs of anger, resentment or other negative emotions. There was none. Only shock, a bit of confusion and a whole lot of blushing.

"Was that a bad idea?" he asked slowly. Naruto just kind of stared at him, speechless.

Sasuke sighed and let go of his face. He needed to go kill Itachi now, it seemed.

He was about to turn around and leave when Naruto spoke.

"Try that again."

He paused, turning to look at the blonde with wide eyes. "What?"

Naruto took a breath, closing his eyes for a moment before glaring determinedly at Sasuke. "I said try it again. You caught me off guard. So try it now that I'm not stunned."

Sasuke analyzed him for a moment, seeing the slight hesitance in the blonde's stance. But Naruto was asking him, right? Wasn't it his job to help Naruto out?

Okay, so he was tweaking the rules a bit. Nobody's perfect.

He turned back to the blonde, reaching up and cupping his face again. He ran his thumbs over Naruto's cheeks lightly, tracing the whisker like markings. He leaned a bit closer, their lips a hairs width apart.

"Are you sure?" he whispered. Naruto met his gaze for a second before leaning upwards, closing the small space between them. The blue eyes closed as their lips moved together, and Sasuke's eyes slid to half mast, his head tilting a bit to press closer.

They stood there, kissing for who knows how long until there was a knock on the door. They broke apart just as the door opened to reveal Iruka.

"Oh there you two are! Who put the chair in front of the door? I was wondering where you two were. Also, do you know why the twins are yelling about rabid gerbils in the hall?" he asked, oblivious to the strong flushes on both boys. Sasuke's eyes moved past Iruka to where he could see the crimson twins waving frantically. He narrowed his eyes as Kao started mouthing something.

'_So-rry...We..tried...to...stop..him._' he mentally translated. His eyebrows rose.

So the twins had known what was happening.

Sasuke was pretty sure he knew who had put a chair in front of the door.

He glanced down at Naruto, who was fidgeting with the string of his shorts. Iruka was going on about lunch and time and something else before finally turning to leave. Sasuke waited until the door was closed before facing the blonde.

"So...what do you think?" he asked carefully. Naruto sneered.

"I think I'm going to kill the twins." He said. Sasuke sighed.

"Not them. I meant...us." he finished. Naruto avoided his gaze, his cheeks burning. Sasuke felt his heart drop a bit. Itachi was definitely going to die.

"I don't know...I mean...do you...do you _like_ me...that way?" Naruto asked. Sasuke watched him.

"Yeah...I do."

"..."

"..."

"...so...can we...can we be, like...a..._couple_?" Naruto asked in a quiet whisper. Sasuke's heart jumped back into its place and started drumming against his chest. '_I love you Itachi!_'

"Yeah. If that's what you want, then sure." He said quickly, and smiled to show his sincereity. Naruto returned it, all shyness seemingly gone.

"Great! And I just want to say that it's about time too!" He said and before Sasuke could question he placed a quick kiss on his lips and went to change his shorts in the showers, leaving a stunned raven behind.

* * *

Sasuke stared at the door to the showers for five minutes after it had closed, before touching his lips lightly. A wide smile broke out on his face.

He finished changing, told Naruto he'd be waiting by the pool and left the change room.

When he stepped outside, most of the younger kids were splashing around in the pool. The older ones were scattered around, eating, talking, sleeping or drawing in Sai's case. Sasuke spotted Itachi sitting with Kakashi and Shikamaru, and made his way over. He stepped behind his brother, leant down and slumped over him in a half hug, half I'm-too-lazy-to-stand-on-my-own gesture.

Itachi jumped, not expecting the sudden weight on his back and shoulders. Turning his head to the side he was surprised to see Sasuke's face wearing a large, very un-Sasuke-ish grin.

"Uh, Sasuke?" Shikamaru asked slowly, just as surprised by the change in attitude. Sasuke just smiled at him.

"Yes, Shikamaru?" he asked happily. The three men did a double take at the light tone. Since when was Sasuke happy?

"Why do you look like the cat that caught the canary?" Kakashi asked. Sasuke raised an eyebrow at the idiom.

"What? Can't I come over and hug my awesome big brother because he's really cool?" he asked.

Itachi didn't know what to do. He was at a loss. Kakashi was stunned beyond words and Shikamaru gaped before saying "I think he's possessed."

Sasuke laughed, further scaring the shit out of his three colleagues. "No. Something just finally went my way for once and I'm a bit happy." He said. His attention was turned to the door when Naruto stepped out, closely followed by the crimson twins who were obviously interrogating him. He straightened up. Before walking away, he looked at his dumbstruck brother.

"Oh and Itachi? Give the 'little birdie' some bird seed from me, okay? Thanks." And with that he walked over to Naruto.

Itachi blinked slowly, realization washing over him. He smirked.

"Will do, little brother, will do." He said. The other two gave him questioning looks, so he sighed and told them about the little game of matchmaker.

* * *

It was late. About midnight when Sasuke woke up from a nightmare. It had been the same one he'd had so many times before. Luckily, he hadn't screamed and woken up half the house. He gripped his hair, trying to will away the shaking.

"Fuck." He hissed. There was a murmur from his left.

"S'uke? What's up?" Naruto mumbled, opening a bleary eye. Sasuke looked over at his new boyfriend, smiling at the blue gaze.

"Nothing. Just a bad dream is all. Go back to sleep." He whispered. Naruto propped his head up on his hand, listening to the night around them. He no longer got scared from the creaking sounds. Sasuke had explained their origins so his imagination couldn't run wild anymore. After a moment, he pulled back the covers and walked over to Sasuke's bed.

He sat on the side, reaching out a hand to brush some black bangs from the raven's paler than usual face. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked softly. Naruto had often woken up from nightmares, and Iruka had encouraged him to talk about them. It had helped him a bit. Maybe he could do the same for Sasuke.

"No. Not right now anyway. But thanks." Sasuke said, and he gave the blonde a light kiss of thanks. Naruto nodded, stroking his head for a moment longer before heading back to his own bed. He lay down, mumbled a good night and turned over.

Sasuke listened as his boyfriend's breathing evened out, indicating he was asleep. He wondered if he should go to sleep too, but the images from his dream were still fresh every time he closed his eyes. He decided to go and get a drink to calm his nerves.

Creeping out the room as slowly as he could, so as not to wake Naruto again, he padded down the hall.

He had just reach the stairs when he came face to face with the young raven girl Chi Dori. He stopped, wondering why she was awake this late at night.

"Uh, are you okay?" he asked, but she only walked past him, her hair falling over her face.

"Dori is angry. Dori is going to get rid of her anger." She said, her voice soft and fluid. Sasuke raised an eyebrow but didn't comment further as the girl headed away.

He went downstairs to the kitchen, opting to have juice now that he was there. He was putting the glass away when someone came up behind him.

"Hey, Sasuke. Suffering from insomnia or something again?" Kakashi asked. Sasuke snorted.

"Says the man who never sleeps."

Kakashi eye-smiled. "Yes well, someone has to keep an eye out for ghosts now right?" he said cheerily. They both knew what Sasuke would say to that, so neither said anything.

"You should head to bed. I want to come check something, so I'll walk with you." Kakashi led him out of the kitchen, and together they climbed the stairs. When they reached the top, they were greeted by a rather angry looking Kurenai.

"Oh, you two. Have you seen Dori-chan at all?" she asked. Kakashi shook his head, but Sasuke nodded.

"She was walking through the hall a few minutes ago. She said she was going to get rid of her anger or something." He said. Kurenai let out a frustrated sigh.

"God, that girl. Just because I told her to stop telling lies about ghosts she gets all upset and starts roaming the halls at night. Honestly, I don't know what's wrong with her." She said, tightening a hand on her robe and glancing down the hall. Kakashi just shrugged.

"Maa, kids tend to over react. Perhaps she is a fan of ghosts, and enjoyed telling stories." He said. Kurenai shook her head.

"Even if that were the case, the stories she was telling Gan and Kiri were very horrid. Filled with all the gruesome things poltergeists can do. She even spoke of how ghosts can possess people and change them into horrible, zombie like things. The two girls can't get to sleep now." She crossed her arms, shaking her head.

Sasuke looked down the hall, amazed that such a small girl could talk about such horrid things.

"She seems to be a bit...odd." he said. Kurenai nodded.

"We don't really know much about her. She was actually in this mansion when we moved in. She'd been hiding in some of the old rooms. We found her and took her in, since she's an orphan. But we don't know much about her. She's always been a bit odd." Kurenai explained.

Sasuke and Kakashi nodded.

"Well, I should go find her before she –" Kurenai's sentence was cut off when a howl, the same howl Sasuke had heard before, sounded around them. The three of them froze, eyes wide.

"What the hell?" Kakashi whispered. Kurenai opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, she fell to the floor. As soon as she was down, she was dragged down the hall, her screams increasing in volume as she looked back only to see...nothing. There was nothing visibly gripping her legs.

"HELP ME! OH MY GOD, HELP ME!" she shrieked. Kakashi was there in an instand, holding onto her and pulling, but he was partially dragged to. Sasuke was stunned, watching as they moved down the hall with nothing forcing them.

"SASUKE! SASUKE HELP ME DAMMIT!" Kakashi yelled. Sasuke broke out of his stupor and lunged forwards, grabbing onto Kurenai's arm and planting his feet firmly on the ground. She screamed again when suddenly a deep gash appeared on her ankle.

"AAAAAH!" Blood was spurting from the wound and several more appeared on both feet. She kicked, writhed and twisted, trying to get free of whatever force was attacking her. Kakashi was yelling for help, and Sasuke was panting with the effort of keeping Kurenai with them. Whatever was pulling her was fucking strong!

There were footsteps, and then Lee and Neji rounded the corner. The Hyuuga's eyes widened and he pointed straight ahead to the space behind Kurenai. "Right there Lee! Use a banishement chant!" he yelled. Lee nodded, rushing forwards and placing his hands together in a strange shape. He stopped right before the struggling trio and began chanting quickly. His prayer beads were hanging from his arms, and they began to sway as if in a strong wind.

"Tsuihō!"**(1)** Lee finished, and he undid the strange hand shape and clapped once. The strange force holding Kurenai disappeared, and Sasuke and Kakashi fell backwards from the sudden weightlessness.

"What the fuck was that?" Kakashi demanded while Sasuke tried to soothe the hysterical woman. Her feet were badly cut and blood was pooling around them. She sobbed, burying her face into Sasuke's chest as her body shook with fear and the force of her tears. There were more footsteps, and Iruka, Asuma, Jiraiya and Tsunade came running. When Asume saw Kurenai on the ground bleeding, he dropped beside them, pulling her into his arms and rocking her gently. He glared at Sasuke and the others.

"What the fuck happened?" he growled. Kakashi held a hand in front of Sasuke protectively, causing Asuma's glare to focus on him.

"We're going to find out. Neji, what did you see?" Kakashi asked, turning to the Hyuuga. Neji sighed, rubbing his temples.

"It was a poltergeist. And a strong one at that. It took the form of a man with silver hair in a pony tail, and large round glasses. He was wearing an old style yukata, and he held a scalpel in one hand, which is what he was using on Kurenai-san's feet." The brunette looked down at the woman on the floor, sympathy in his pale eyes. "Whatever it was planning, it was a good thing you two were here, or else I fear Kurenai-san would not have escaped with only those injuries." He finished solemnly.

* * *

The rest of Rei-Senzai and the caretakers soon gathered in the hallway. Tsunade and Shizune, with the help of Asuma and Jiraiya, carried Kurenai away to the nurse office. Iruka and Jiraiya went to all the rooms to calm any children that had woken up. They found Dori sitting in her bed, looking uninterested in the events. When her roommates Kiri and Gan asked what had happened, she had smiled for a brief moment before turning over and pulling the blankets up.

Neji and Hinata had come and used their abilities, trying to find the spirit, but it seemed to have vanished. Ino and Sakura were once again assisting the caretakers, and the tech crew was working hard checking every single room for some form of spiritual energy. Kiba and Lee were scouting around outside. Itachi was helping Kakashi examine the hall for any marks. And Sasuke was standing to the side, his chin in his hand and his eyebrows furrowed in thought. Eventually he sighed.

"I can't." He said slowly. Itachi and Kakashi paused, turning to give him a questioning look. He met their gazes before looking at the floor. "I can't think of any sort of logical explanation. Everything I've come with has been shot down with something else. I can't be a bastard sceptic this time." He explained. Itachi and Kakashi shared a glance before the older Uchiha straightened up, placing a hand on his brother's shoulder.

"Go back to bed, Sasuke. This sort of thing is draining, and I know how draining it is when you can't find a reasonable explanation. Don't forget, I was once the bastard of this company too." Itachi said with a small smile that failed to reach his eyes. Sasuke sighed, but nodded and turned around. He was tired, images of Kurenai screaming as well as his earlier nightmare were replaying in his head. He couldn't do anything.

His one job was done. He couldn't be the sceptic now. He was on the fine line between denial and belief, but he wasn't a sceptic any more.

When he opened the door, he was glomped by Naruto. He had expected this. What he did not expect, however, was Naruto to start examining him for injuries before leading him to his bed and forcing him to lie down.

"I'm so glad you're okay! Iruka-sensei told me what happened to Kurenai-sensei, and when he said that you'd been there I tried to come to you, but he forced me to stay put!" Naruto fretted, hugging Sasuke tightly.

Sasuke was confused. "But...weren't you afraid?" he asked. Naruto slumped slightly.

"Of course I was afraid. I was fucking terrified. But I was too worried about you to care. When someone important to me is in danger, I can ignore my fear." He whispered. Sasuke gave a small nod, returning the hug. So, Naruto managed to ignore his fear when someone important was in danger? That was a start.

Sasuke's heart did a double beat when he realized something. '_He considers me an important person._'

He smiled and hugged his blonde closer, his hands firmly pressing against Naruto's back. Naruto nuzzled his neck, placing a gentle kiss on the crook of the pale neck. Sasuke smirked.

"We've been a couple for less than a day and you're already worrying over me like a protective wife." He joked. Naruto growled at the wife comment, and punished Sasuke by biting his neck lightly. Sasuke gasped at the action, and he retracted his hands, placing them on Naruto's chest and pushing him away until they could see each other's faces.

"That's not very nice,dobe." He smirked. Naruto stuck his tongue out at him childishly.

"Yeah well, you're still a teme." He retorted. Sasuke chuckled and leant closer. Naruto's eyelids slid down and he came forward until their lips touched. For a moment, the simply pressed their lips together. Then Sasuke grew a bit bolder. He hesitantly swiped his tongue over Naruto's lower lip, asking for entrance. Naruto stiffened at the motion, but opened his mouth slowly. Sasuke gently thrust his tongue inside and slowly rubbed it against Naruto's.

The blonde moaned, joining in the action. He placed his hands on Sasuke's shoulders and tilted his head a bit, deepening the kiss. Sasuke slid his hands up and caressed the tan neck, jaw and cheeks before tangling into the golden locks.

Their kissing grows more intense as their hands begin to roam. When Sasuke's hands slide under Naruto's shirt, he gasps and pulls away. Sasuke immediately moves to take his hands away, but Naruto grabs his wrists. Without saying a word, he guides Sasuke's hands back to his stomach, pressing the palms of those pale hands firmly against his skin. Sasuke watches as Naruto slides his hands up a bit further, before he releases his hold on Sasuke's hands only to place his own on Sasuke's neck.

Encouraged by Naruto's guidance, Sasuke begins to trail his fingers over the tanned abdomen. Naruto rubs Sasuke's neck slowly, sensually, leaning in to place a light kiss on the raven's lips. Sasuke follows as he pulls back, and claims the blonde in another kiss, this one more passionate.

Somehow, at some point, Sasuke had pushed Naruto onto his back and had lifted the blonde's shirt until it was bunched by his under arms. He leant down, placing butterfly kisses all over his boyfriends chest. Naruto moaned softly when Sasuke's lips brushed over a nipple.

"S-Sasu..." he whimpered. Sasuke decided he liked the sound of Naruto's voice this way, and he went back to the nipple, licking it and enjoying the sound it pulled from the blonde. Naruto arched into his touch as he began to lightly nip at the caramel skin. Sasuke's hand wandered lower, coming to rest on Naruto's navel. As much as he wanted to go lower, he knew that it was way too soon. Like he'd said, they'd been a couple for less than a day.

"Naruto." He whispered, leaning up to plant of firm, but sweet kiss on those lips. Naruto met his kiss, his hands trailing up Sasuke's back beneath his shirt.

When they pulled away, they lay there, staring into each other's eyes for what seemed like forever. But after only five minutes, Sasuke lowered his gaze as he rested his head on Naruto's chest. "We should sleep." He said softly. Naruto nodded.

Sasuke sat up and pulled back the covers. But when Naruto moved to go back to his own bed, Sasuke held him back. "Stay with me?" he asked. Naruto looked at him, noticing the slight shaking of Sasuke's fingers. He nodded, and together they climbed into bed, wrapping their arms around each other protectively.

It didn't take long for them to fall into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

**(1) = it means 'Banish'.**

**So, there you have it. Started off with a game...morphed into a mini horror movie, and ended with some lovin' yaoi-ish goodness. All in a good day's work, ne?**

**Hope you enjoyed it. The ghostly stuff will start happening more frequently next chapter and onwards. And yes, I'm warning you now, there will be at least one death...but I don't think I have the heart to kill someone from the original Naruto...don'tcha just love OC's? They can be so useful in these situations!**

**All my OC's - Meep!**

**Anyway, thanks for reading! And, please review, it will only take a minute of your time but it's like a super motivation boost for me! Many thanks! (and review cookies)**

**Juura99  
**


	4. Taking it to the Next Level

**Hey there! Sorry for the wait but it's finally here! The fourth chapter!**

**I swear, I wrote this over and over and over, but it jst wasn't working! I just hope this final version of this chapter is good enough. Let me know if it really sucks please.**

**Anyway, warnings are yaoi, swearing, bitchy fangirls and the appearance of a ghost...again...**

**Disclaimer: Why would I own Naruto? I don't even own half the clothes I'm wearing. (Don't worry, sis, I'll return your shirt in time!)**

**Enjoy~  
**

**

* * *

Taking it to the Next Level.**

When Sasuke woke up the next morning, it was to find his arms wrapped protectively around Naruto. He smiled, placing a gentle kiss on the blonde head. Naruto murmured in his sleep, shuffling closer and heaving a contented sigh. Sasuke chuckled as his boyfriend nuzzled his chest.

There was a light knock on the door before it opened. Itachi poked his head in, his eyes tired with dark rings under them. He looked over at Sasuke, his eyes widening slightly at the sight of the two cuddled up. Then he gave a small smile.

"Good morning, little brother. I assume you slept well?"

Sasuke nodded, indicating that Naruto was still asleep. Itachi nodded and lowered his voice.

"Breakfast is ready. Also, we're having a meeting after breakfast, and you need to come too." He said. Sasuke nodded again, and Itachi backed out of the room.

When the door closed, Sasuke shifted a bit, freeing one hand which he used to gently brush some of Naruto's hair out of his eyes. He leaned down and blew onto Naruto's cheek. "Wake up, Naruto."

"Mnngh." Naruto groaned, opening his eyes slowly. He looked up at Sasuke, blinking, and yawned loudly. "S'uke? What time is it?"

"It's time to get up." Sasuke said, and he sat up, ignoring the small moan of protest when Naruto lost the warmth. He climbed over the lazy blonde and walked over to where he kept his clothes. "Let's get dressed and go down to eat."

Naruto rubbed his eyes, sitting up and stretching. "Ugh, I slept like a baby!" he said. Sasuke smirked at him over his shoulder.

"Am I that good a pillow?" he asked. Naruto nodded eagerly, then laughed along with Sasuke. He too climbed out of the bed and slunk over to Sasuke, wrapping his arms over his shoulder.

"You're heavy." Sasuke noted. Naruto scoffed, his breath warm on the back of Sasuke's head.

"And you're a bastard. We're even."

"Dobe."

"Teme."

Sasuke turned his head, pressing his lips on Naruto's. Naruto smiled into the kiss, and moved over so that Sasuke didn't have to strain his neck to reach him. He parted his lips when Sasuke asked for entrance, and their tongues fought for dominance.

Sasuke won.

The raven turned is whole body around and pressed himself against Naruto, grabbing his hands and entwining their fingers. One of them moaned, but they didn't really care. They were to absorbed in their make out session to even hear the knock on their door.

"Hey Sasuke! You're bro told me you were up and- _WHOA_!" Kiba tripped on his own foot and fell face first to the ground. There was a loud crunch upon contact, followed by a groan of pain.

The two boys broke apart, staring at Kiba. Sasuke was pissed the brunette had interrupted, and Naruto was worried for his well-being.

"Oi, Kiba, you okay?" the blonde asked. Kiba raised a hand in reply. After a moment he pushed himself up. There was a lovely red mark on his forehead and his nose was red too.

"Ow. This floor is fucking _hard_!" he complained. Sasuke snickered evilly.

"Serves you right. Now get out." Kiba raised an eyebrow.

"Why?"

"Because you're interrupting us." Sasuke glared. Kiba's other eyebrow rose.

"You mean...you guys were...I'm sorry!" he yelled, scrambling up and retreating out the door. They heard him yell in the hallway "But you need to come and eat! The meeting is gonna start soon!"

Sasuke sighed, rubbing his face with his hand. Naruto smiled and stood up. Sasuke tried to protest but the blonde was already heading to his closet. "He's right. We should go eat. And you have that meeting thing."

"It's just them saying how there is a ghost and discussing how to get rid of it." Sasuke grumbled, but he began to change anyway.

When they arrived in the kitchen, everyone from Rei-Senzai turned to stare at them. Sakura and Ino were glaring daggers at Naruto, who gulped and backed away slightly. Sasuke only placed a hand on his back, pushed him forward and glared at the girls in return. They shied away and he smirked. '_Ha! Take that!_'

"Good morning, Sasuke. Naruto. Kiba told us some interesting news." Kakashi said, grinning beneath his mask. Sasuke turned his glare on Kiba, who raised his hands in defence.

"Whoa! All I said was that I'd disturbed your make-out session!" he said. That only made Sasuke glare harder when Naruto blushed and avoided his eye.

"Next time, mind your own business dog-breath." Sasuke hissed. He wrapped an arm around Naruto's waist, grabbed two slices of toast with his free hand, and then walked out of the kitchen, dragging his boyfriend with him.

The crew looked at each other. Lee, Kiba, Chouji and Tenten grinned. Neji, Shikamaru and Kakashi just shrugged. Hinata focused on her breakfast, willing away the blush. Shino did...nothing. Sakura and Ino were glaring at their plates, but kept silent. Itachi only smiled briefly before, turning serious again.

"Alright everyone, as soon as Sasuke comes back, we're going to start. It looks like this place is legit after all."

* * *

After Kiba had once again so rudely interrupted Sasuke and Naruto's make out session-breakfast time, the crew of Rei-Senzai sat in the living room. The tech crew was going over all their equipment in a corner. They had decided to put camera's in all the halls, storage rooms and other uninhabited rooms. Sakura and Ino were serving coffee, getting papers and doing whatever else assistants had to do. However, they never passed up a chance to stare at Sasuke.

He ignored them as always. Sasuke sat with Itachi and Kakashi by the phone. They were about to call their home base and ask Sasori and the others for some help. Neji and Hinata were looking through several books on ghosts. Lee was talking to Kiba about the best way to ward off a spirit in a dangerous situation.

The meeting had consisted of Kakashi telling them that they were going to stay in the orphanage, find out what the hell was here and then get rid of it before it got out of hand.

"Okay, Itachi let's call Sasori." Kakashi said, clapping his hands together. Itachi nodded and dialled the number, placing the phone on loud speaker.

While they waited for someone to pick up, Kakashi sidled over to where Sasuke was sitting.

"So, you and Naruto?" he asked softly. Sasuke nodded stiffly. Kakashi beamed.

"Have you guys gone all the way?" the silver-haired man asked. Sasuke, who had taken a sip of his coffee, began choking. He glared at Kakashi who only grinned.

"Not that it's any of your business, but no." Sasuke snapped. Kakashi looked a bit disappointed.

"What a shame. Well, I can give you some _tips _if you'd like..." He ducked to avoid the blow aimed for his face. Sasuke was seething, his cheeks red.

"I don't want to hear _any _of your perverted suggestions!" he hissed. Kakashi studied him for a moment before nodding.

"I should give you tips. You are _obviously _sexually frustrated. The sooner you get laid the better." He said matter-of-factly.

Luckily, the phone was answered and Sasori's voice sounded before Sasuke could kill his boss.

"Hello?"

"Sasori, we've got a request." Itachi said, ignoring the one-sided glaring match going on beside him.

"What do you need?" Sasori asked.

"The history of this mansion, as far back as you can get." Itachi said.

"Oh, and a box of condoms for Sasuke." Kakashi added. Sasuke looked ready to kill someone as the other crew members grew silent.

"Shut up!" he growled at Kakashi, but the man only smiled. There was silence on the phone for a moment. Then –

"I'm not going to ask. So, do you think it's haunted?" Sasori asked slowly. Kakashi hummed thoughtfully.

"I'm not sure. I've never heard of a haunted condom before." He said.

"He meant the fucking _building _you _ass_!" Sasuke spat, his cheeks still red. Kakashi made a noise of understanding while Itachi stared at his little brother.

"Language, Sasuke. This is an orphanage after all." He scolded. "And yes, Sasori. We have some reason to believe that there is supernatural activity here."

"What happened?" Sasori asked, curious.

"A caretaker was almost dragged down the hall, and her feet were slashed as if with a knife or something similar. Both Kakashi and Sasuke were present at the time." Itachi informed. Suddenly there was a crackling noise, indicating the phone was getting snatched from Sasori's hand.

"Was it Lord Jashin?" an obnoxious voice asked loudly. Itachi and Kakashi sighed.

"No, Hidan. It wasn't." Itachi said curtly.

"Are you sure? Did you check or were you too much of a pussy bitch to get a decent look?" Hidan demanded. There was a loud crack, followed by Hidan's voice saying "Fuck! Bitch, that hurt! Fuck off Kakuzu!" before the phone was once again switched to someone else.

"Ignore him. He had too much coffee this morning. I can probably get the information to you by tomorrow." Kakuzu's cool, collected voice rang out clearly even with Hidan's constant cursing in the background.

"That would be great. Thanks Kakuzu." Itachi said. Kakuzu gave a grunt of approval before Sasori's voice murmured something. He paused and then said –

"I can deliver the condoms now though."

"Oh for fuck sake's! I'm going to _kill _you!" Sasuke yelled, turning and pouncing on Kakashi. The man blocked all the punches aimed at him, but just barely.

"Bring them now! He's even more sexually frustrated than I thought!" he called out frantically.

* * *

A few hours later, it was lunch, and everyone was gathered at the table, eating hot-dogs with potato salad and juice.

The doorbell was rung, and Iruka went to answer it. He came back, followed by a man with dark skin, piercing green eyes and who wore a bandana on his head and had two scars on either side of his mouth.

"Ah, Kakuzu!" Kakashi greeted.

Kakuzu said nothing, instead heading straight over to Sasuke. The raven paled immensely when the tall man stood in front of him.

When Kakuzu pulled out a small box and, in front of everyone, dropped it onto Sasuke's lap saying "Here we go. Now you can enjoy the wonders of safe sex." Sasuke almost murdered every one of his colleagues as they burst out laughing. Except for Hinata. God, who even knew that someone could go that shade of red?

And the R.A's. But who cared about them?

Naruto had taken one look at the box before going bright red and pushing his hot dog away. Gaara was trying very hard to engulf Sasuke in flames using his eyes while all the other kids laughed. Sasuke had slumped back in his seat, red faced and pissed.

Amazingly, Iruka had been absent during it all, and when he returned was none the wiser as to why everyone was acting so strange.

Kakuzu left with the promise of returning the next morning with information.

Sasuke kept the condoms.

* * *

"Mmmph!...S'uke." Naruto tilted his head to the side, allowing Sasuke more access to his neck. The raven sucked greedily on the tan skin, leaving mark after mark as he moved downwards. His left hand was pinching a dusty pink nipple while his right rubbed against Naruto's crotch.

They had managed to sneak off after lunch, and were currently in their room.

The door was locked, the curtains were drawn and they knew for a fact that everyone else was busy.

Sasuke was supposed to be helping set up equipment, but it's not like they really needed him.

"S-Sasuke, don't you...nnn...don't you ha-aah- have work to..Ngh...to do?" Naruto gasped as Sasuke's hand slipped inside his pants to rub against the fabric of his boxers. He was already hard, and the friction sent wonderful tingles up his spine, but he didn't want Sasuke to get in trouble.

Said raven only snorted before claiming those lips in a harsh kiss. "Work later. Molest now." He grunted. Naruto laughed, but it turned into a moan when Sasuke's hand reached inside his boxers. Pale fingers wrapped around his erection and began pumping him with long, slow strokes, squeezing the head just right to make him gasp.

Sasuke loved the sight of Naruto arching his back while trying to thrust into his hand. It turned him on to no end, and his pants were becoming unbearably tight.

But at the same time, a small voice in the back of his head was telling him it was too soon to do more than this.

'_You've been together for a total of what, a day or two?_' the voice argued. It sounded a bit like Itachi.

Sasuke continued kissing down Naruto's chest, his hand working his boyfriend's erection skilfully. Well, as skilfully as one who'd only done this once before could.

'_There's another point! You were with your last boyfriend for a month before you did this! You're moving too fast!_' that inner Itachi voice scolded.

Sasuke hesitated for a moment. Perhaps he was moving too fast. He was about to remove his hand when-

"Ah! S-Sasuke, don't- Mnn! – Don't stop!" Naruto moaned, bucking his hips when the friction stopped. He was panting, and oh so close to his release. Why the fuck was Sasuke stopping now? Surely he wasn't that cruel?

Sasuke's eyes widened at the command, and he smirked.

'_What was that about moving too fast?_' he asked his inner Itachi-like voice, and he could almost see it scowl.

"Nnngh! Sasuke!" Naruto arched, his head tilting back as Sasuke's hand worked him faster. He was panting and gasping, and his thought processes had stopped functioning properly.

Sasuke's smirk only widened as he moved his hand as fast as he could. Naruto began twitching and jerking before –

"Aah! S-S'uke!" he cried, releasing his load into Sasuke's waiting hand. Sasuke pressed his lips to Naruto's while he helped bring the blonde down from his high.

Naruto lay there, partly underneath the raven as he tried to catch his runaway heartbeat.

"You okay?" Sasuke asked, and Naruto nodded.

"Y-yeah...that was...amazing." he panted, and offered a smile to Sasuke who returned it.

"Of course. I was the one doing it after all." Sasuke quipped.

"Cocky bastard." Naruto snorted, and he playfully hit Sasuke's head. Said raven just chuckled and kissed him lightly.

When Sasuke moved to stand, Naruto reached out, grabbing his wrist and stopping him.

"You're still hard." The blonde said. Sasuke offered a small smile.

"I know. It's okay though. I can tell you're new to this, so I won't force you to do anything." He said. Naruto bit his lip. He wanted to help Sasuke, but he was still nervous about this whole thing.

Sasuke couldn't help but smile at his innocence. "Don't worry, Naru. I can take care of this."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "How are you going to do that? The bathroom is all the way down the hall, and if you touch yourself here, I'd just suffer and get hard watching you...and then this whole cycle would repeat." He said. Sasuke chuckled before closing his eyes.

He pictured Itachi and Kisame wearing bikini's, and doing lap dances for Kakashi, who was wearing a spandex suit like Gai.

"Whoa! It's _gone_!" Naruto exclaimed.

Sure enough, the tent that was once in Sasuke's pants was gone in a flash. Sasuke smirked.

"See? Told you I'd take care of it." He said smugly. Naruto shook his head, smiling.

"What did you think about?" he asked. Sasuke chuckled.

"My brother and his friend in a bikini lap dancing for my boss." He said. Naruto cringed slightly, but then he grinned.

"That's very elaborate. I, on the other hand, have a quick, simple image that can send even the most _horny _bastard into a state of anti-hardness." He said.

"Oh really? What is this _amazing _image?" Sasuke asked, crossing his arms and raising a sceptical eyebrow. Naruto's grin widened.

"Gai-sensei in a speedo." He said simply.

Sasuke saw the image in his mind, and actually let out a cry of disgust. "Gyah! Oh, that's horrible!" he exclaimed, clutching his stomach. Naruto was cracking up on the bed, rolling around slightly.

"Yeah, but it works every time." He said between gasps. Sasuke shook his head, trying to rid himself of the horrid image.

"Ugh, I'm going to have nightmares about that." He groaned.

There came a knock at the door.

"Sasuke? Are you in there?"

The R.A's were out there.

"Shit! Hide me!" Sasuke whispered, spinning around frantically and diving under his bed. Naruto watched with interest as the raven squirmed and wiggled his way to the safe confines of the dark space.

He had a great view of said raven's ass.

"Sasuke?" Sakura's voice called.

"Can I answer it now?" Naruto asked the now fully hidden raven.

"Yes, but make it quick! There's a _shitload _of dust down here! And I think a spider is trying to play footsie with me." Came the reply. Naruto chuckled and launched himself off the bed. He was about to swing open the door when Sasuke's voice hissed out "you didn't forget to tuck yourself back in right?"

Glancing down, Naruto blushed as he realized he had, in fact, forgotten to...put away his _stuff_. He quickly did, zipping up his pants and taking a deep breath. Without further ado, he unlocked the door, revealing Ino and Sakura standing there.

"Hey girls! What's up?" he asked with as much innocence as he could. Sakura and Ino glared at him.

"Where's Sasuke?" Ino demanded. Naruto gave a shrug.

"I don't know. Not here." He said, scratching his cheek nervously. The girls looked him up and down, looks of great dislike on their faces.

"Stay away from Sasuke." Sakura said after a moment. Naruto lost his nervousness, only to replace it with annoyance. He crossed his arms and met their glares.

"Why should I?" he countered.

"Because he's not into little fags like you!" Ino hissed. Naruto narrowed his eyes.

"Watch it. Just because you've got a huge rack and long hair don't think I won't knock you into next week if you piss me off." He said, his voice low. Ino blanched, but Sakura only took a step forward.

"Who do you think you are, you little fag?" she growled. Naruto turned his steely gaze onto her.

"Uzumaki Naruto. Age 16. And you are...what, Billboard Brow, age 3?" he deadpanned. He heard the faint snicker from under the bed behind him and smirked.

Sakura was seething.

"Don't think you're so cool! Sasuke isn't interested in ugly little shits like you! So just stay the fuck away from him you little monster-" Sakura's voice died when a fist was slammed into the wall right beside her head. Ino gasped, her hands flying to her mouth.

Naruto stared at the pinkette, his eyes blazing. His knuckles were bleeding from where they'd hit the wall, several cracks in the paint.

"I warned you to watch it. Consider this your second warning. But if you ever go about insulting me like that again, I'll kick your ass so hard you won't be able to stand for a week. And another thing, don't decide what people like for them. I'll hang out with Sasuke as much as I fucking want to. Got it _bitch_?" he growled.

Before Sakura could answer however, there were footsteps and a very fake-cheer filled voice spoke.

"Ah, making new friends, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto sighed and drew back his arm, turning to the newcomer.

"What do you want Sai?"

"Just passing by. Chi Dori has gone missing again. If you see her, let us know." And with that Sai gave a huge fake smile and left. Naruto ran a hand through his hair and retreated into his room. He slammed the door, ignoring the two girls outside.

"...is it safe?"

"Yeah, you can come out now."

Sasuke crawled out from under the bed, flicking off a small spider that was attached to his leg. He went over and wrapped his arms around Naruto's waist, kissing the back of his neck.

"Ignore them. They're just stupid fan girls who have no life." He muttered. Naruto nodded, leaning back into him.

"Yeah. I know."

* * *

To say Kiba was slightly confused would be a bit of an understatement. He was beyond confused. He was at that point where all you could do was stand in place, stare at the scene before you while your mind doesn't even register that there's something for it to process.

"...what the hell?" he muttered after what seemed like hours.

He had been placing several camera's throughout the storerooms on the third floor-there were so..._many_..._fucking_..._storerooms_- and had reached the room at the very end of the hall.

Strangely enough, this room had a huge ass lock on it.

And Kiba, being the oblivious, unthinking person he is, simply picked the lock using a hairpin-Hinata had stopped him in the...very _deserted _hallway earlier that day- and pushed open the door.

And that had been when he'd gone into a state of confusion.

Because what he had expected to be an empty room, or a storeroom had turned out to be one of the strangest rooms he'd ever seen in his life.

And that was saying something. He was friends with Lee, for Pete's sake.

And it was because of that fact that he had a great apprehension to the colour green.

But the room before him was definitely the new winner of his 'weird-room' list.

The walls were painted-messily- a deep crimson. The small hanging light at the top was destroyed, a few shards of glass hanging precariously from small pieces of plaster. The windows were boarded, and the only light came from the centre of the room.

In the centre was a low table, candles scattered about it. There was also a small bowl that was filled to the brim with a dark liquid that Kiba really didn't want to look at any closer. Aside from that, there were a few notes scattered everywhere, the words a blur in the dark room.

Kiba wasn't sure what to make of it. All he knew was that he needed to call his boss.

Finally breaking out of his confusion hold, he turned and began jogging down the hall, looking in rooms as he went. He passed Tenten, Shino, that Gaara kid, the little girl Chi Dori who glared at him for some unknown reason, and finally spotted his boss fiddling with a wire on a camera in the room three quarters down the hall.

"Hey, Kakashi!"

The silver haired man looked up, still trying to work with the technology in his hands. "Hmm?"

"Come with me quickly, there's something you should see." Kiba said, motioning with his hand. Kakashi tilted his head and was about to ask a question when suddenly he pressed the wire a bit too far, the result shocking him.

"Fuck! Agh, stupid camera." He groaned, shaking his hand to try and rid himself of the tingling. Kiba snorted, but grabbed his arm and began leading him back down the hall.

"What do you want to show me?" Kakashi inquired.

"The room at the end of the hall...it's all weird and shit."

"Oh? And all the other rooms are regular rooms right?"

"No, as in, really weird! Like, alter weird or something!" Kiba exclaimed. Kakashi's eyebrows rose.

"Alter?"

"Yeah. There was a table with candles and shit and a bowl with something that really looked and smelled like blood, but I didn't really want to double check." Kiba said, shuddering slightly.

Kakashi followed him all the way to the end of the hall, but at that point Kiba stopped dead, his mouth dropping open.

"What the fuck?" he exclaimed.

"What? What's wrong?"

"The...the lock...I...I already took it off...someone put it back on!" Kiba said, gesturing towards the big lock that was secured on the now closed door. Kakashi gave him a sceptical look, but Kiba's face was sincere.

"Well...maybe a caretaker passed by?" he suggested. Oh dear, he was doing Sasuke's job now.

"No man! There weren't any caretakers! And all our mates are busy. And I saw that Gaara guy go downstairs! ..." Kiba gaped. "IT WAS THAT CREEPY LITTLE GIRL!" he yelled, pointing an accusing finger in Kakashi's face.

Kakashi blinked, raisng his own finger to push the other away.

"Okay, whatever. Now open the door so I can see this weird alter thing." He said in a very bored tone. Kiba slowly lowered his finger, nodding. He proceeded to pick the lock again, and let out a triumphant huff when it clicked open.

"Now, tell me I'm imagining things!" he challenged, throwing open the door and sticking his nose in the air in triumph.

Kakashi peered into the room, blinked once, twice, thrice, before promptly slapping the side of Kiba's head.

"You're imagining things idiot. This is just another store room." He said, annoyed. Then, without waiting to hear Kiba's complaints, he turned and walked back down the hall, intent on grabbing a cup of coffee downstairs.

Kiba rubbed his head, confused. "What was that about?" he mumbled, turning to peer into the room.

He stumbled backwards in surprise.

The walls were painted white and had millions of cracks. The windows had a few boards over them, but the fading sunlight still streamed through. There were old shelves, worn out boxes and a rusty old bathtub shoved into the corners.

There was no crimson, no table, no candles and no bowl of red liquid.

"W-what? B-but I saw...what..._how_..._huh_?" the brunette stammered, clutching his head and leaning against the doorframe to keep standing. He was so sure there had been an alter in that room. So, why was it just a store room now? It's not like you could repaint the room in the time it took him to get Kakashi, so no one could have fooled with it.

"...I must be losing my mind." He muttered, and just to prove himself, he reached a hand forward and swiped, confirming that it was not a picture in front of him. He stepped away from the room, confused and more than a little worried.

"You should not be in there!"

Kiba shat himself twice over, whipping around with wide eyes to stare at the pale form of Chi Dori. The girl was leering at him, her eyes cold. He stared at her with a deer-in-headlights look while his heart calmed down. Then he cleared his throat, and stood up straight. (He'd somehow gone into a half karate pose in his surprise.)

"Uh...what're you talking about?" he asked. Chi Dori's leer widened.

"Tis not a place for nosy dogs like you! That room is Dori's playroom it is! Now leave!" she spat, pushing past him and standing in the doorway. Kiba glared down at her.

"Now look here you little brat, I'm busy working! And don't go in that room. It's dangerous." He said. She blinked, before laughing.

It wasn't loud and humorous, like a child's laughter was supposed to be like. Instead, it was low and cold and empty.

"Dangerous? Yes, yes tis very dangerous. But not for Dori. Dori is not in any danger. Dori was _never _in any danger. But nosy dogs like you? Yes, _very _dangerous indeed." She hissed.

Kiba took a step back, an uneasy feeling washing over him. He stared at the girl in shock. She just leered at him, her skin seeming to go a few shades paler and her shadow lengthening as the sun sank in the sky outside. She retreated further into the room, pushing the door closed. Before the last crack was erased, however, she paused, her black eyes staring at the dog lover coldly.

"Nosy dog should watch his back. Other dogs might bite it if he's not careful."

With that last warning, she shut the door, the resounding click sending shivers down Kiba's spine. He could only stare at the door, a strange fear enveloping him.

"...Something's...not right with that girl. I...I should tell Kakashi and the others." He whispered to himself. He turned and started to walk slowly down the hall. The odd fear didn't go away, and a cold sweat broke out over his face with every step he took.

The hall was completely empty.

He passed room after empty room, but still no one was in sight.

"W-where are they?" he stammered. He was sure there were others! '_They must have gone downstairs!_'

The sun was going down rather fast. The shadows in the hall began lengthening until they washed over him like a wave. He began to shake, and not from cold. The fear was getting worse. He could almost sense something looming over him.

Something growled.

"What was that!" he screeched, spinning around.

The hall was empty, as always. The shadows had grown darker, making it difficult for even his heightened eyesight to see.

"I...I need to get out of here."

He turned and began to jog, his breathing become heavier as the fear intensified until it felt like a weight crushing him.

He heard another growl, and ran faster. The growling continued, and soon it was followed by a pattering sound.

'_Like paws. Paws on carpeted floors_.'

His breaths had turned into sharp pants, and he was full out running. Why was the hall _so fucking long_?

Then he heard another sound that made his blood run cold.

A bark.

He looked over his shoulder, but still the hall was empty. And yet he could hear the growls and snarls and steps of what was undoubtedly..._a dog_.

'_Fuck! Run! Fuck it Inuzuka run!_' he thought desperately, and with that he was sprinting. The footsteps broke into a run, and the growling changed into snarls and short, sharp barks.

Kiba was panting, each breath high and fearful. He could feel the thing coming closer and it only fuelled his fear.

"...H-help!" he panted weakly. He was alone.

He was alone on the third floor.

And something was after him.

It was dark. The sun had set now and it was pitch black in that hallway that had no end.

"Shit...SHIT!" He screeched, his hands reaching out in front to feel for any obstacles. He could hear the thing bearing down on him. He had to get to the others. He would be safe then. He just knew it.

At least...he hoped.

'_Where are the fucking stairs! Come on! Please, please stairs!_' He let out a joyful cry when his hand felt the post of the stair railings. He had to turn around a bit to go down and then he saw it.

A huge black mass, eyes glowing a fiery yellow and white teeth showing in a snarl.

Kiba's breath froze in his throat as his eyes met the yellow orbs.

Then the thing lunged, and he felt pain as huge fangs sank into his side...into his back.

Blood splattered the floor.

And he screamed a blood chilling scream, a cry of pure pain and terror as he tumbled backwards, the teeth ripping out of his flesh, dripping with blood, as he dropped down the stairs and into the darkness that was the second floor and his own unconsciousness.

* * *

"_Mother?"_

"_Yes, Kiba?"_

"_I...I don't want a dog."_

_Inuzuka Tsume looked down at her five year old son, her narrow eyes softening as she took in his trembling form. He was hiding behind her leg, staring at the large grey and white husky sitting a few feet away. It was surrounded by small pups._

"_Kiba, you don't have to be afraid of dogs." She assured, but he shook his head and gripped her pant leg tighter._

"_They'll bite me! They'll bite me and I'll get really sore!" he said frantically, looking up at her with fearful eyes._

_Tsume sighed. She looked over at the group of young pups, and noticed a very small white one with the faintest hint of brown on its ears. It was the runt, no doubt. The others jostled around their mother, while this one simply lay to the side, waiting for its turn to cuddle. It looked incredibly sad. _

_Tsume studied it, before a small smile took over her normally feral features. She started forwards and Kiba immediately released her, staying put as she approached the dogs._

_She knelt down right beside the lonesome pup. It looked up at her, pleading eyes. She gave it a one-fingered stroke, before looking straight at the mother. The two female's eyes met, one with a silent question. After a long moment of simply staring one another down, the husky blinked, and tilted her head ever so slightly down. Tsume returned the action, a smile of thanks and assurance gracing her features. _

_She turned and picked up the small pup in one hand and made her way over to her terrified son._

"_N-no! D-don't bring it here!" Kiba stammered, utterly terrified. But before he could run his older sister Hana came up and held him by the shoulders._

"_It's okay, Kiba." She whispered. He shook as his mother came closer with the bundle of fur._

"_M-mommy! I-I'm scared!" he squeaked. Hana gave his shoulders a reassuring squeeze, her understanding gaze on her mother._

_Tsume reached her son and knelt down. With her free hand she gently patted Kiba on his head._

"_It's alright, Kiba. You see dogs can, indeed, bite and cause pain. However, they can also protect you and be the greatest friend ever. They will be loyal and kind and caring and loving towards you, and all they ask in return is a bit of affection and care. When you form a bond with an animal, there is an understanding between the two of you. And if you work to make that bond strong, you will find that you wish to protect your dog. And that dog will protect you just as fiercely. So.." she placed the small dog right at Kiba's feet and shuffled back for a bit. _

_Kiba stared at the small creature that was looking up at him with big black eyes. He met the soft gaze, and some of his fear ebbed away. Hana stroked his shoulders slightly indicating him to go ahead._

_With a shaking hand he reached towards the tiny creature. The dog looked at his hand once before licking it and nuzzling it tenderly. Kiba gasped in delight at seeing the little thing cuddle up to him._

"_I-it's not hurting me!" he exclaimed. Tsume and Hana smiled warmly._

"_You see? There's nothing to be afraid of." Hana said. Kiba giggled and started stroking the small dog. It wagged its tail and scooted closer, enjoying the attention._

"_He seems to really like you." Tsume commented, and Kiba gave a happy laugh._

"_Do you want him?" Hana asked. Kiba stiffened, looking down at the dog. Even though this dog was nice, he was still scared of other dogs. He'd seen lots of big, scary dogs in their neighbourhood and he was terrified of getting bitten._

"_I-I..." he stammered, and he withdrew his hand slightly. Tsume frowned, realizing how nervous her son really was. Hana gave a sad sigh._

_Just then, one of the more rowdy puppies darted towards them, yapping and snarling. It went straight at Kiba who cried out in fear as the pup bared it's fangs._

_Tsume was about to move to stop it, but there was a flash of white. The next thing any of them knew, the tiny white pup was snarling and biting at his sibling, and the rowdy grey pup yelped before scampering away. When his opponent was far away, the small white pup turned and went to Kiba who was on his butt, having fallen over in shock and fear. _

_The small dog walked straight up and licked his cheek once, before backing away and letting out a slight whine of concern._

_Tsume and Hana smiled as Kiba held a hand to his cheek in a daze._

"_This is what I was talking about. This little dog has already formed a bond with you, and he wants to protect you. You don't have to be scared, because with him by your side, you will be safe." Tsume said softly._

_Kiba slowly got to his feet and held out a hand to the white pup. It immediately went to him, licking his hand and whining happily. A smile formed on the young brunette's face._

"_Can...Can I keep him?" he asked slowly. Tsume nodded._

"_You need to give him a name." Hana reminded. Kiba looked down at the small dog that was lapping at his hand contentedly. He smiled wider._

"_Akamaru. His name is Akamaru!"

* * *

_**Um...*looks at Kiba fans* ...eheh?...DON'T KILL ME!**

**So, how was that! What will happen to _Kiba_? Where did that ghost _come from_? How will Naruto and Sasuke overcome the fangirls? Will those condoms be _used_? Find out, next time on REI-SENZAI INC.!**

**...Oh, and reviews are like show ratings...if there's a low supply, the show will be canceled. I think you get the picture.  
**


	5. Haunting Melody, The Riddle Begins

**Wow, this is a short chapter compared to the others. Buuuut, since the last one had a bit of a worriesome end, I figured I'd be kind and let everyone know what happens soon. So this is just a reconsiliation chapter, but important stuff does happen! The plot continues to grow here!**

**Thanks to all who reviewed! You all ROCK! *throws yaoi cookies into crowd of reviewers***

**And now, please enjoy the next chapter!  
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**

* * *

Haunting Melody, The Riddle Begins. **

Sasuke sat with his head in his hands, his shirt hardly keeping the cold out. Itachi sat beside him, his arms crossed and eyes staring at the white wall in front of him.

They were in the hospital, outside of the emergency surgery room.

Kiba was in there.

**-earlier-**

"_Hey, Sasuke?"_

"_Yeah?"_

"_...is it just me, or is someone missing from the dinner table?"_

_Sasuke looked around, surveying each face as they took their seats. He soon noted however, which face was absent. _

"_You're right. Kiba's not here." He mumbled. He turned to Naruto who was holding his chin and humming in thought._

"_I can tell it's not like him to miss a meal." The blonde said. Sasuke nodded._

_He felt uneasy. And by the look on Naruto's face, he felt the same._

"_Let's go find him." He said. Naruto nodded immediately._

_Together they jogged around the first floor, but there was no sign of the dog-loving brunette anywhere._

_The longer they looked, the more uneasy they grew._

"_Maybe he's still upstairs?" Naruto suggested weakly. They began jumping up the stairs two at a time._

"_That idiot is probably fooling around. Maybe planning to prank-...oh my god." Sasuke's voice died at the sight greeting them._

_At the bottom of the stairs that led to the third floor was...Kiba._

_He was lying in a crumpled heap, his leg bent at an odd angle and his arm twisted behind his back. There was a large cut across his forehead from falling down the stairs. But above all was the huge tear in his shirt by his lower back. Blood was running freely from deep puncture wounds, and already there was a small pool around him._

"_...no...fuck KIBA!" Sasuke rushed over, dropping beside his best friend and feeling for a pulse. He almost sighed with relief when he felt the strong beat beneath his fingertips. But Kiba was losing blood fast. They had to get help._

"_Naruto-"_

"_Already on it!" Naruto darted was flying down the stairs, already calling for help. "SOMEBODY CALL 911! KIBA'S BEEN ATTACKED!"_

_Sasuke could hear the rest of the residents talking, shrieking and shouting below. But his attention was returned to the brunette when he felt a weak hand grab his shirt, staining it with blood._

"_Sa...su..ke..."_

_Kiba coughed, blood splattering from his mouth and over his face. _

"_Ssh! Don't talk! Save your energy! Don't worry man, help's coming."Sasuke hissed, trying to calm his friend down. Kiba opened his eyes with great difficulty. For a moment they focused on Sasuke. But then drifted behind him to the top of the stairs._

_His eyes widened in terror and he let out a choked scream._

_Sasuke tried to still his friend as Kiba began thrashing around weakly, still screaming._

"_KIBA! Calm down! What's wrong!"_

"_..D-dog! D-demon dog!" Kiba hacked, blood escaping his mouth and spattering on Sasuke shirt._

_The raven turned his head and froze. There, standing at the top of the staircase was a huge black shape. It growled, glaring down at them with yellow eyes before seeming to vanish into the inky blackness behind it._

'_w-what was that?'_

"_SASUKE!"_

_Soon after, Naruto, Itachi and Kakashi were there beside him. _

_The ambulance arrived in good time, and they loaded Kiba up and took him away to the hospital. Sasuke had gone with him._

_Itachi said he needed to be there for his brother, and by some smooth talking, both he and Kakashi had convinced Iruka to allow Naruto to tag along._

_While Itachi and Naruto headed for the hospital, Kakashi worked with Lee, Hinata and Neji to try and find the thing responsible for their friends pain._

**-present-**

"S'uke?"

Sasuke looked up slowly to find Naruto watching him with worried eyes. He gave a small, fake smile to try and ease his boyfriends worry.

The smile must have been even worse than Sai's because Naruto didn't buy it for a second.

The blonde wrapped his arms firmly around Sasuke's neck, and pulled the raven into his chest. His one hand came up to stroke the black hair soothingly.

"He'll be fine. He's almost as stubborn as me." Naruto muttered. Itachi and Sasuke smiled at that.

"Yeah. I know. It's just...nerve wracking. He was so pale and beat up." Sasuke murmured. Naruto nodded in understanding and kissed his head.

"However, this brings up a very worrisome subject." Itachi said quietly. The two boys looked at him.

"It would seem that these ghosts are out to hurt the residents of that house. First Kurenai, now Kiba. We have to solve this thing and fast if we want to avoid the risk of more injuries. Kurenai's feet are one thing, but Kiba's injury had the potential to be fatal." Itachi continued.

They grew quiet as the words sank in.

Unsurprisingly, it was Naruto who broke the silence.

"How do you kill a ghost?"

Sasuke smirked and Itachi sniggered.

"You don't kill it. You get it to move on." Itachi explained. Naruto narrowed his eyes, confused, but before he could question the doors opened behind them.

The three of them looked over to see the doctor emerging, pulling off bloody gloves as he went.

"Are you Inuzuka-kun's friends?" he asked in a gruff voice. They nodded, standing up.

"How is he?" Sasuke asked. The doctor sighed.

"He was lucky. The wound was a lot deeper than we thought, but we got to him in time. His leg is broken, as well as his arm. And his one wrist was fractured. He's going to be stuck in a bed for quite some time. Also, he has a slight concussion. He needed several stitches on his head and a fair amount on his back and stomach too. But he's in no danger."

They sighed with relief.

"Can we see him?" Naruto asked. The doctor shook his head.

"Sorry, he's still in a pretty rough condition. He'll be unconscious for a long while, and even when he wakes up the medication will keep him pretty sobered and mellow. If you'd like, I'll give you a call when he wakes up, but for the time being I would suggest you go home." He said apologetically.

Sasuke opened his mouth to protest, but Itachi placed a firm hand on his shoulder. The older raven smiled at the doctor. "Thank you, that would be great."

The doctor nodded and turned to leave. When the last fold of his white coat was gone, Sasuke turned to his brother.

"Why can't I stay?" he asked angrily. He didn't really want Kiba to wake up all alone in a hospital. Itachi shook his head.

"They wouldn't let you. Besides, Naruto can't stay, and I don't think either of you two should be alone. You were the ones who found him, and whether you know it or not, that did leave a mark on you. It's best if we all go back and get some rest. The doctor will call us and I'll let you know when he does, so don't worry." He set a stern look on the younger Uchiha to show there was no discussion.

Sasuke sighed and looked over at Naruto, who was eyeing him carefully. Then he nodded.

"You're right. Let's...let's go back. Kiba's fine." He murmured. Naruto nodded slowly and grabbed his hand. Sasuke returned the reassuring squeeze he received, and the three of them slowly made their way out of the hospital.

'_Don't worry, Kiba. We'll figure out what's happening in that building._'

* * *

Kakashi let out a sigh as he closed his phone. Hinata was nearby and watching him intently, her eyes slightly wet from tears. He turned to her and gave a smile.

"Itachi said he's going to be fine. He'll be out of commission for a while, but he's in no danger."

The entire crew let out simultaneous breaths of relief and Hinata buried her face into Neji's chest, sobbing quietly with happiness. The older Hyuuga patter her on the back, his eyes narrow with thought.

"There was something there. Kiba was attacked by a spirit of some form. Judging from the wound, it looked like an animal spirit, which is highly strange. After all, why would there be an animal here?" he wondered out loud.

Kakashi nodded thoughtfully. "Well, hopefully we can find out more tomorrow. Kakuzu will be dropping off the information, and we can start trying to link the ghosts to the past of this place. That'll be a start at least." He said, and stretched. "It's been a long day. Everyone, we'll forgo watch tonight. Put the cameras on record and head to bed. I'll see you tomorrow." He waved and left the room.

The hallways were pitch black, as it was already very late. Almost half past twelve or so, he guessed.

"Poor Kiba. That was a close call." He murmured, his brows furrowing in thought. It was official now. Whatever was in this house was dangerous. If they wanted to help the children, they needed to get rid of these spirits and fast.

**(Quick AN: to get the full creepiness, go to Youtube and look for Creepy Music Box. The picture of a little ballerina figure in black and white is the right one. Play that and imagine these words to that tune for full creepy effect!)**

"_Tell me, mother, why do you cry?"_

"_Is it because of my dark lullaby?"_

"_Tell me, mother, why do you tremble?"_

"_Is it because it's the dead I resemble?"_

"_Tell me please, my dearest mum,"_

"_Are you ready to pay for the bad deeds that you've done?"_

The tune was haunting.

Kakashi slowed in his steps, eyes widening at the soft voice that seemed to seep out of the very walls. He looked over his shoulder, but saw nothing.

"_I've tried to be sweet,"_

"_Mother, my dear."_

"_But you've only been bad,"_

"_Acting out of your fear."_

"_What you did was wrong,"_

"_And for the tears that I've shed,"_

"_I'd be so very glad if you could please just drop dead."_

Kakashi took slow steps forward, his eyes searching the hallway as the creepy melody continued.

When he came to a door that was slightly ajar, he realized it led to the music room. The tune was coming from there.

As quietly as he could, he slipped through the door, gritting his teeth when it creaked slightly. However the music did not stop, so he continued on.

The music room was had white wood floors and walls that were painted a creamy white with pale blue borders. There were two large windows on the wall opposite the door. In the center of the room was a large, light wood baby grand piano. It was old and worn, but still played beautifully. In the corner was a set of tom toms, cracked and unusable. There was an acoustic guitar on a stand as well as a very old violin in its case sitting on a shelf.

The moonlight was shining through the windows, sending the white room into a pearly silver glow. Shadows loomed tall and dark from the piano and other scattered objects.

Kakashi was sure the song was coming from here. He edged slowly further into the room, his eyes taking in everything.

Then he saw her.

Sitting on a small stool by one of the windows, with pale moonlight washing over her frail form was Chi Dori. Her long black hair hung limp over her shoulders, framing the ghostly pale face. She was wearing a silky white nightdress that hung at her knees. Despite how small the stool was, her feet still dangled off the ground slightly. She held a small, pearly-silver music box in her lap. It was decorated with an ornate orchid shape embossed on the lid. The tiny figurine that rotated slowly to the haunting melody was in the shape of a delicate girl dancing gracefully. The moonlight caught in the small mirror on the inside of the lid, sending glinting reflections of silver light over the small girls chest.

Chi Dori was staring out the window, her eyes unseeing and blank as she softly sang to the melody.

Kakashi took a few steps towards her, slightly weary of her presence. This girl was creepy.

"What are you doing up so late?" he asked quietly. She stopped her singing, but the melody continued, adding an eerie background noise to the already eerie room.

Slowly, so slowly it looked almost mechanical, she turned her head to look at him.

"Dori could not sleep." She whispered softly. Kakashi took another step forward, placing his hands in his pockets.

"Did you have a nightmare?"

She looked at him strangely, a small smile curving her pale lips.

"Dori always has nightmares. Dori is living in a nightmare." She sang softly, her hair making a soft hiss as it splayed over her silk dress.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Living a nightmare? Why is that?"

"They stole Dori's home, they did. Rotten thieves, the lot of them." She spat harshly.

"Who's a bunch of rotten thieves? Do you mean Iruka-sensei and the others?" he asked slowly. He vaguely recalled Kurenai mentioning that Chi Dori had been found in this house.

Suddenly the raven girl let out a low giggle. The sound sent cold shivers down Kakashi's spine and he watched in great apprehension as the girl tilted her head to the side.

"Did you know that this room was always like this? Even when Dori was alone here, this piano was here. Everything in this room was here with Dori before the rotten thieves came. And they have not touched this room. This is Dori's room, alone. They will not touch it." She said, her thin fingers trailing over the music box in her hand.

"So, this is your special place?" Kakashi inquired. Chi Dori nodded, her face turning sad.

"Yes. This is Dori's special place. This is Dori's home." She whispered. She turned her head back to the window. "Dori's old home was buried. This is all that remains of Dori's home." A single tear slid down her cheek and she resumed her singing as the melody continued.

Kakashi rose to his feet, not realizing he'd been crouching by her for a while. Without saying a word he turned and carefully walked out of the room. Leaving the door ajar slightly, he started towards his own room, eager to escape.

The haunting music played on.

* * *

Neji lay in his bed, his eyes wide open as he listened to the sounds of the house settling.

Moonlight washed through a small slit in the curtains, creating a sliver of light along the carpeted floor.

He couldn't sleep. No matter how much he tried, he could not drift into slumber.

There was something in the air. An almost warning breath that was lingering around the halls. It had been like that since Kurenai's accident, and it had grown ten times worse with Kiba's attack.

He felt uneasy.

"Tch." He hissed and sat upright, his long brown hair hanging around his face. He raised his thumb and bit the end, thinking hard.

He had to find out what the strange aura was. There was something amiss and it would only become troublesome if left alone.

'_How should I approach this?_' he wondered, letting his eyes roam over the shadowy room before they closed in thought. '_Perhaps there is an outside source? A physical presence that is causing this? Spirit summonings are not unheard of, after all. But...if that is the case, then who is it?_'

It was true. He had heard of people using dark magic to summon ghosts and use them for their own gain. But the methods used were brutal and horrid, and it would not be easy for anyone to do. He knew that quite a few summoning rituals required the blood of an innocent baby to work.

His eyes shot open. '_Shit! We're in a fucking orphanage! Baby's blood isn't exactly hard to come by!_'

He swung his legs over the side, his mind now frantically working.

He had to talk to one of the caretakers. But one he could trust. '_But who? Who can I truly trust? Asuma...he seems trustworthy...but, his attitude when Kurenai was...he changed into such a vicious man then...no, not Asuma. Tsunade? No,...she's the doctor...she would most likely be the one to provide the baby's blood. Better not. Shizune-san is her assistant too, so leave her out. Iruka?...he doesn't seem the type to do anything wrong. I can probably trust him. But, I don't know him all that well either. Fuck, who can I talk too?'_

He stood there, rubbing his temples in agitation as he tried to figure out who to speak too. Especially at this ungodly hour.

His eyes snapped open. '_Gai-sensei!_'

He could trust Gai. He'd known the man before this. And he knew everything about that man's history. He could talk to him and trust him to keep quiet.

Neji slipped on his shoes, and quietly left the room. He was careful not to wake Lee.

He took several steps down the hall before freezing as he heard soft footsteps heading his way.

Instincts told him to hide. And he had learned long ago to trust them.

Looking around frantically, he saw a small nook between two large wooden posts. As quickly and quietly as possible, he slipped into it and held his breath. Thank god he'd worn dark clothing to bed so he blended with the shadows.

The footsteps grew a little louder as the person approached.

Neji stayed as still as he could, hoping beyond hope that the person would just pass by.

His hopes were dashed, however, when a strong hand grabbed his arm and yanked him from his hiding place.

He grunted, and internally panicked when the hand shot to his throat. However, using the skills that his uncle had drilled into him, he spun, using his elbow to knock the arm away and at the same time grabbing a hold of his opponents shoulder.

"Who are-Gaara-kun?" he stopped, staring into wide jade eyes.

Gaara stood there in maroon pyjama's, his dark red hair ruffled and unruly. He glared at Neji, hands fisted.

"Why are you awake?" Neji asked, not releasing his hold.

"I suffer from insomnia. I hardly sleep." Gaara replied, his voice low. Neji nodded slowly at his excuse.

"So then, why were you walking around?"

"Did you not hear me? I suffer from insomnia. Why the hell would I sit in my room for hours doing nothing? I always go for walks. The caretakers know and they give me permission." The red head snapped, wrenching away from the brunette. Neji let him go and took a step back.

"I see." He said. Gaara just stared at him.

"Why are you awake? And why were you hiding in that crevice?" he asked. Neji looked up, his pale eyes narrowing.

"I couldn't sleep. So I decided to do some investigating." He replied carefully, ignoring the second question. Gaara blinked.

"Do you need help?"

That was unexpected. Neji's eyes widened slightly.

"What?"

"I asked if you needed help. I'm not sleeping anytime soon, and I'm not afraid of ghosts, so let me help. I also know a fair amount about this place, so I can fill you in on a few things." The red head shrugged.

Neji slowly considered this proposal. He didn't know much about this Gaara character, but he could sense no evil intent from the boy. **(AN: Oh the irony! Gaara's an innocent boy in this story! He doesn't have bloodlust! Lol!)**

Perhaps he could be of use.

"Well, alright then. I was going to go and see a fellow colleague, but that can wait. Let's go have a chat." He said and turned to head towards the stairs. Gaara followed, walking beside him without fear.

"So, what do you want me to tell you?"

"What?"

"Information. On this house, I mean. What would help? I'll tell you all I can."

"Ah, right. Well," '_Should I ask? His aura seems trustworthy._' "Do you know of any young baby's that have died here?"

Gaara stopped dead in his tracks, turning to regard Neji with wide eyes. "Why would you ask that?"

Neji slowed down, watching the red head carefully. '_It would seem I'm on the right track._'

"I have my reasons."

"Care to share those reasons with me?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm not a hundred percent sure, and I don't want this getting out."

Gaara glared at him for a minute. Then he gave a long sigh and ran a hand through his hair nervously. "There was an incident. Near the start. When we first moved into this mansion." He began, his eyes shifting back and forth. Neji waited for him to continue, but he didn't.

"Well, what happened?" he asked. Gaara flinched, looking over his shoulder.

"We...we shouldn't talk about it out here. She...she might be nearby." He murmured. Neji raised his eyebrows at this.

"Who?"

Gaara raised a finger to his lips and motioned for Neji to follow him. "Not here."

Neji followed the boy, his brain whirring. Gaara was unnerved. The boy who sent death glares that rivalled Sasuke's was nervous. Whatever was to be talked about must have been unsettling to a great degree. Neji wondered what could have happened. '_Maybe I don't want to know. But, this may be the cause behind it all. And who is this 'she' he referred to?_'

They tiptoed down the hall in silence, Gaara looking around every now and then. Neji simply followed, unsure of what to say.

However, as they neared the red head's room, a cold shiver went up his spine. '_Someone's coming!_'

"Gaara-kun-!" Gaara, however, had also sensed the approaching figure and immediately whipped around. Neji was taken aback at the emotions swirling in his jade eyes. Panic, , cunning, and the tiniest hint of fear.

"Just go with whatever I say, understand?" he whispered harshly. Neji nodded, at a loss for words.

Gaara then schooled his face into its usual passive look. He grabbed Neji's shoulders and waited. Neji grew increasingly uneasy as the sound of feet became aparant.

When it was close, Neji saw a small figure in white before he saw jade eyes. He froze.

'_H-he...he's...k-k-kissing me!_'

Indeed, Gaara was kissing him rather brutally. The footsteps stopped and Gaara broke away, turning to face the newcomer. "What are you doing up, Dori?"

The girl tilted her head to the side, her eyes blank. "Dori is just walking. Like Gaara-nii, Dori cannot sleep. Did Dori interrupt something?" she asked in a dreamy voice. Gaara sneered.

"Yes. Now leave us the hell alone. And don't fucking tell anyone." He hissed. She straightened her head and glared at him.

"Gaara-nii should learn to speak nicely. That foul tongue will be trouble for him." She snarled and then stalked past them, her white nightdress fluttering about her as she went.

For a moment the boys stood stock still, waiting for her to round the corner and disappear. Once she was out of sight, Gaara let out a huff of breath and dropped his arms.

Neji was still stunned. "W-what the hell was t-that?" he stammered.

"Sorry. But I needed to give her a reason as to why you were awake. Else she would have questioned, and if she found out you were sneaking, she'd get angry and tell someone." Gaara whispered, leading the brunette into his room and closing the door.

His brother Kankuro was sound asleep, snoring loudly.

Gaara sat on his bed, motioning for Neji to do the same.

After regaining his composure, the brunette did so and crossed his arms. "Okay...but..why are you afraid of her? She's so young."

"Yes, I know. But...there's something wrong with her. Whenever she gets very, very angry, something always seems to happen. It's like her emotions cause things to go wrong."

Neji's eyes widened comically at this. '_Kanjō seishin setsuzoku_.' **(1)**

So this could be it. That girl, Chi Dori, could definitely be a key player in all of this, whether she knew it or not.

He needed to talk to Kakashi first thing tomorrow morning.

"Alright, that aside-I have questions about her though- what can you tell me about this incident involving a young baby?"

Gaara shifted uncomfortably before starting. "It happened a few weeks after we'd moved into this place. Someone left an infant on the doorstep. A young boy. We called him Awai, because he was so pale and fragile** (2)**. We all took care of him, and he soon grew to be quite, well, adventurous. Kind of like Naruto." Gaara gave a small, sad smile.

Neji nodded for him to continue.

"Well, one day, we left him in the care of the young girls. Gan and Kiri got distracted though. They weren't paying attention. Awai just roamed away from them and they didn't even notice." He paused again, taking a deep, shuddering breath. "We couldn't find him for hours. Everyone was searching high and low for him. Iruka-sensei was frantic and he didn't stop running once."

Gaara closed his eyes as the memories of how terrified everyone had been came flooding back. He could see, in his minds eye, the image of Kurenai crouching to look under a bed, Tsunade and Shizune running back and forth, Iruka opening doors, drawers and cabinets everywhere he went. He could see Gan and Kiri crying as they tried to find their charge. He saw Naruto, the Crimson Twins and Junkyo searching the outside for some sign of the baby.

And then he recalled himself walking into that storeroom on the third floor. The room three doors down from the end of the hall.

"I was the one who found him. He was...lying there, underneath a huge box filled with wooden blocks for crafting. It was so heavy, it took Asuma and Jiraiya combined to lift it up. But we were too late. Awai was crushed. He was gone." Gaara clenched the blankets, gritting his teeth as he did so.

Neji let it sink in, the whole story. It was sad. Gaara was obviously pained by the memory.

But he couldn't feel bad at the moment.

He'd just solved part of the riddle.

An infant had died. And getting crushed was a good way of getting sufficient amounts of blood of you were there when it happened.

He was sure of it. Awai's death had not been an accident.

But now the question was..._who _was the culprit and _why_?

* * *

**Like I said it was shorter than the rest, but it has significance!**

**(1) - it means Emotion-spirit Connection.**

**(2)- Awai translates as pale. ...well, according to google translator anyway! :P**

**So, for those who were dying with worry over our dear Kiba, you must be satisfied. He's alive. He'll be out of action for a bit, but he's safe and sound! Aren't you glad!**

**Not sure when the next update will come up, but look forward to it!**

**Review if you enjoyed it!  
**


	6. Crossing the Line! No Longer a Game 1

**Okay, this chapter is split into two parts. This is part 1. **

**Why is it split, you ask? Because I had to end this one off where I did for dramatic effect. I'll try to get the next part up soon, but not sure when that will be.**

**And so, Warnings!: language, a colourful prank, and...dum dum dum...nah, won't ruin it just yet. But there is gore...sorta...well, mentioned gore...  
**

**

* * *

Crossing the Line! No Longer a Game 1.**

Kakashi was tired beyond belief when he stepped into the half empty living room that morning. After his small, albeit disturbing encounter with Chi Dori in the music room, he had struggled to find the sweet dreams he'd so dearly needed. It was true he'd never been a heavy sleeper, but still, he needed sleep. Especially after the exhausting day he'd had. But instead of succumbing to slumber he'd lain in bed, wide awake coming up with several new theories as to what was causing these ghost attacks.

None of the theories he'd come up with were very appealing.

"Good morning everyone." He yawned, stretching his arms above his head. He was greeted with a round of groggy moans that could have passed for 'good morning' if you had an active imagination.

Kakashi dragged his feet over to the couch and plopped down next to a snoring Shikamaru. The brunette's head was hanging over the back of the couch, his mouth wide open.

On normal days, Kakashi would have tried to slip something into that gaping pie-hole, but he was too distracted to attempt any pranks.

It was this fact that got everyone's attention.

"Uh, Kakashi?" Tenten began nervously. The silver haired man looked up at her questioningly. She timidly motioned Shikamaru's snoozing form. "Aren't you,...you know, going to do something?"

"Huh?"

'_Oh fuck, not good._' Was the thought that ran through everyone's mind after hearing their leaders oh so smart reply.

"Is there something wrong, Kakashi?" Shino asked from his place behind the man. Kakashi jumped a foot, spinning around to stare at the boy.

"Jesus, don't sneak up on me! I nearly had a heart attack!" he gasped.

Everyone did a double take.

Kakashi got a fright? That hardly ever happened. The man was infamous for never flinching and for sneaking up on other people. If Kakashi was jumpy, there was something really, really wrong.

"Kakashi, what happened?" Tenten asked, straightening up. Everyone, even Shikamaru who had been jolted awake, focused intently on their leader. Kakashi sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"I've...got a few theories of what is happening here. None of them are very nice. However, I can't be sure until I get some more information." He said slowly.

"What are the theories so far?" Shikamaru asked.

"Well...one is the most basic. The theory that this house was filled with people who died violently and those spirits are just restless and taking out angry energy on the occupants. However, if this was the truth, why wait until now to attack? The haunting had been going on for a while before Gai decided to call us, but it was never to the point of someone being attacked. So I'm not betting on that theory." Kakashi paused while Sakura and Ino walked into the room, rubbing their eyes and grumbling hello's. "Well, good morning girls. I'd love a cup of coffee. Anyone else?"

There was a smatter of requests and the two R.A's stalked into the kitchen. Kakashi stared at the door before continuing.

"The other theory is that there is someone in the house who has a load of spiritual energy and is releasing it in large waves subconsciously, thereby attracting spirits and of course, causing the attacks without meaning too. That would mean that everyone who was attacked, Kurenai and Kiba, would have done something to the culprit that set off emotions which cause the spirits to turn their attention to the victims. If this is true, then whoever is doing it isn't trying to. It's all subconscious and caused by emotion. This is a pretty nasty theory, since it means that an innocent person is the one behind it. But it would help with the selection of victims as well as explain why the attacks have been mellow or nonexistent before."

Neji walked in, looking particularly ruffled. Behind him, Gaara ambled into the room, equally untidy. They were both yawning, still in pyjama's.

Kakashi, even from his distance, did not fail to notice the hickeys lining Neji's neckline. He smirked beneath his mask. '_At least someone had a good night._'

"That's an interesting theory, Kakashi. But I have one of my own." Neji said, slumping down on the couch next to the silver head man. Gaara walked on, entering the kitchen to get some coffee for himself.

"Oh? Do tell. All the details, Neji. And I mean _all_ _the details_." Kakashi gave the brunette a sly wink and Neji's face flushed a bit.

"W-well, I came to the conclusion that these haunting are perfectly intentional. The way there were brought about leads to the thought of a physical person behind this. However, both Hinata and myself are able to sense spiritual energy. We can even see it at times. However, all the residents of this house have regular energy, so someone cannot be doing this subconsciously." Neji stated.

The room was quiet as they took this in.

"So, it seems my third theory is most likely correct. Someone is doing this on purpose." Kakashi sighed. Neji nodded.

"Yes. And I'm pretty sure that whoever it is, is using those old, spirit summoning spells from the black magic era. More specifically, the type of spell that allows one to control a spirit."

"Wait, wait Neji. For that type of spell, you need the blood of an innocent baby." Kakashi pointed out. Neji frowned at him, and waved his hand through the air, gesturing the room.

Shikamaru got it before anyone else. "Oh fuck, you're joking?" he said. Neji shook his head.

"No. This is an orphanage now. There will be newborns and abandoned infants coming randomly. So it would not b impossible to get baby's blood."

"But, there aren't any infants! The youngest children here are Gat Tsuuga and Rasen Gan! And they're too old to be called babies. So there are no infants now here!" Tenten exclaimed.

"There was one."

Everyone, except Neji, turned to the kitchen doorway to see Gaara holding a mug and staring at them intently.

"W-what?" Tenten stuttered. Gaara sipped his coffee before replying.

"There was a baby here. Near the start when we first moved to this place. However, a month or so after he came, there was an accident. He died." The red head said, before going to sit next to Neji. The brunette scooted slightly closer, his hand brushing against Gaara's arm comfortingly.

"So, wait. You're saying that a baby died? How? Was it really an accident?" Tenten demanded. Gaara shrugged.

"He was crushed under a box full of wooden blocks. Whether someone was involved or not is something I can't tell you because I haven't got a clue." He said, sipping his coffee again.

Kakashi ruffled his hair in frustration. "So, we've got a dead baby. His blood could have been taken and used in a ritual. One doesn't need that much, depending on the type of spirit you wish to summon." He speculated. Neji nodded.

"I believe it would be safe to assume that a summoning is the cause. However, that brings up the case of who the culprit is." He said. Everyone quieted down.

Before any further conversation was held, however, three people entered the room.

Itachi walked in, his one arm raised as he wiped his eyes to get rid of the sleep that had gathered there. He was using his other arm to keep a very groggy Sasuke upright. The younger raven hadn't even managed to open his eyes yet and had one arm wrapped around his brother's waist to keep himself on his feet. Like Itachi, Sasuke's other arm was occupied. However, unlike Itachi, Sasuke wasn't supporting another person.

He was dragging another person.

Naruto was on his stomach, his arms trailing along as Sasuke dragged him by his right ankle.

He was snoring lightly, indicating to everyone that the blonde was still fast asleep and unaware of his current predicament.

"Good morning all." Itachi called softly, stifling a yawn and leading his load towards the largest couch. Sasuke ambled along, mumbling a 'good morning guys' as he went. Naruto slept on even as his shirt bunched up a bit from being dragged.

Gaara stared between the sleeping blonde and the Uchiha currently dragging him. His eyes hardened. "Care to tell me why exactly you are treating my friend like a fucking rag doll, Uchiha?" he growled. Sasuke forced his eyes open and blinked at the red head, his brain still trying to sort through the morning mush puddle it was.

"Huh?"

"He means to ask why you are dragging Naruto-kun across the floor by his ankle." Kakashi supplied with a hidden smile.

Sasuke blinked slowly as the words made their way into his mind. When they finally clicked he looked down at his hand, his eyes widening at the discovery that he was, indeed, dragging his boyfriend around by the ankle. He blinked owlishly, his mouth curving into a very confused frown.

"Well what do you know?" he said lightly.

Gaara huffed, but decided to let it slide. He knew that the Uchiha was close friends with the guy who was attacked, so he blamed this on that incident.

After placing his empty mug on the coffee table nearby, he glided over to the snoring blonde and crouched down.

"Oh look, all you can eat Ramen." He said loudly.

Naruto shot up like a bullet, his eyes bright and gleaming as he spun around shouting "Where? Where?"

The room burst into laughter at the blonde's antics. When he realized that there was no ramen to behold, he pouted cutely and sunk into the seat next to Sasuke, crossing his arms and huffing.

"That wasn't nice, Gaara." He whined. Gaara smirked devilishly.

"No. But it was funny." The red head said.

"I hate you." Naruto moaned, rubbing his eyes.

"No you don't. You adore me. You think I'm cute." Gaara countered easily.

Sasuke frowned.

"No, I think puppies are cute. Kittens are cute. Fluffy little bunnies are cute. Homicidal fellow orphans with red hair and weird tastes in tattoos are definitely not on my cute list." Naruto retorted, sticking his tongue out childishly at the red head. Gaara scowled and went back to his seat beside Neji.

Sasuke smirked.

"Here's your coffee everyone!" Sakura said as she and Ino finally left the kitchen. They began handing out the coffee until finally noticing Itachi, Sasuke and Naruto.

"Ah, Itachi-san, Sasuke-kun, would you like some coffee?" Ino said in a bubbly voice. The fact that she didn't offer Naruto, but rather glared in his direction did not go unnoticed.

Itachi raised an eyebrow. "No thank you, Ino. I'm fine. What about you, Sasuke, Naruto?"

Sasuke didn't answer. He was too busy glaring at the two girls who were glaring at Naruto who was stretching, uninterested in their stares.

"Sasuke-kun, would you like some coffee?" Sakura asked again, turning a sickly sweet gaze onto the Uchiha.

Sasuke made a show of gagging at the look and several snickers were heard, mainly from Shikamaru, Naruto, and Kakashi.

Sakura's smile faltered before coming back full force. "I'll take that as a no then. Anyone else?" she asked curtly. There were murmurs of 'No thanks, I'm fine' before she and Ino left the room, sending glares to the blonde on the couch.

As soon as they were out of sight, Naruto sighed.

"You know, I get the feeling they don't like me." He snorted. Sasuke grunted and wrapped his arm around the blonde's shoulder. Surprisingly, Naruto returned the gesture and even placed a kiss on his cheek. He turned bewildered eyes to the blonde.

"I thought you were uncomfortable with PDA's." He reminded. Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"I never said that."

Sasuke thought for a moment and realized that, yes, the blonde had never said that. '_I guess I just sort of assumed it because he's...the uke, I guess._' He decided not to voice that thought. He didn't think Naruto would take it very nicely.

However, happy with the new revelation, he pulled the blonde closer and sighed happily. Everyone in the room was keeping their gaze elsewhere, but there were smiles and smirks curving the majority of mouths. Gaara was the only one scowling.

Not that anyone was surprised.

Neji discreetly nudged the red head in his side, and Gaara's scowl lessened somewhat. He still looked a bit unhappy, but he wasn't burning holes into the carpet anymore.

"So," Itachi began, "What have we concluded. From what I heard, something about a summoning spell?" he questioned. Kakashi sighed and nodded, his smug smile falling to be replaced with a grave frown.

"It seems the most likely. We should start searching for...Oh fuck me." The silver head growled, face palming harshly. Everyone stared at him, confused by his sudden action. He let out an annoyed grunt and looked up. "Kiba found the where the alter was. That's most likely why he was attacked."

This got a reaction. Everyone straightened up, questioning looks shooting at him like bullets. Kakashi had the urge to duck but fought it.

"What do you mean? Where is it?" Sasuke demanded. Naruto began rubbing circles on his back soothingly, trying to keep the raven in some form of calm.

"Yesterday Kiba dragged me all the way down the hall saying that the last room was decked out all weirdly, and that there was an alter or something in the middle. But, when we got there the room looked absolutely normal, so I just brushed it off to his imagination." Kakashi hung his head sadly.

"Gensō - inpei jumon." Lee said, appearing in the doorway. The rest turned to him as he walked in, followed by Hinata and Chouji. "Or, in English, Illusionary-Concealment Spell. That is most likely why you were fooled to see a normal room." The green clad boy said.

Kakashi tilted his head. "How does that spell work?"

Lee sighed and brought a hand to his chin in thought, his prayer beads dangling around his wrists.

"Let's see, one needs a special type of root which happens to grow in this area, a few bones, nothing sinister mind you. Chicken bones work fine, and those can be obtained from a dinner table easily. Then one must grind the root into a fine powder, set the bones in a bowl with a candle in the center and sprinkle the root powder over it. Once you've done this, the room that the bowl is set in will become hidden behind an illusion."

Kakashi nodded slowly as he took this in. Then he frowned. "So then, how come Kiba saw the real room while I only saw the illusion?"

Lee pondered this for a moment. "That...might be because of Kiba's extra sensitive senses. There is a high chance that his eyesight, as well as touch and smell, pierced through the weak veil of illusion and saw the true confines of that room. If only for a moment, he would see. If he were to look away for a brief moment, he will fall into the illusion just like the rest of us. That would be my guess. Kiba is more in tune with his animalistic nature, hence his senses would be able to pick up things we cannot. I have to say that without his youthful help, we may struggle to detect important things."

Itachi let out an almost inaudible sigh and rubbed his temples.

"This is getting annoying. But hopefully Kakuzu will bring us some good information. If we can find out what this house used to be, or who used to live here, we may get a clue as to who the ghosts are, and maybe even a lead as to who's behind it all." He said tiredly. Kakashi nodded, cupping his chin thoughtfully.

Everyone lapsed into silence, their minds buzzing.

* * *

Sasuke had leant back into Naruto's arms, the blonde wrapping one arm around the raven's waist while using the other to reach up and gently stroke his cheek.

Sasuke enjoyed the feeling of Naruto's fingertips trailing over his cheek and occasionally his lips. He was amazed at how intimate they were when they'd only met, let alone been together, a few days ago. This would be what Neji would call, fate.

Not that he was complaining.

He couldn't help but think of how much he enjoyed Naruto's presence. It was strange, since they often bickered over silly things, but there was never any animosity between them. They'd already decided without words that their pet names were Dobe and Teme. It was just natural between them.

He started chewing his nails thoughtfully, thinking about everything that had happened. He thought about his job, his schooling, his friends, Kiba's accident, what might have caused said accident, the possibility of ghosts, the stupidity of that idea, the logical explanations that might apply...and then he started thinking about Naruto, how his hair was so blonde, how his skin was so tan and how absolutely gorgeous he looked when his face was flushed and he was panting and-

"Sasuke?" Naruto's voice sounded from behind him, breaking him out of potentially dangerous thoughts.

"Hn?"

"Are you hungry or something?"

"Why would you ask that?" '_Why did that sound kind of...muffled?_'

"Well...you have been chewing, nibbling and sucking on my fingers for the past five minutes, so I figured that you might be getting a bit snackish." Naruto replied, and Sasuke could hear the grin in his voice.

He blinked and looked down his nose to see that Naruto's index, middle and ring finer were indeed, inside his mouth. '_Oh fuck._'

He glanced around, his face growing redder as he saw that everyone...every-fucking-one was staring at him, and grinning. Even Gaara was smirking at him.

He hated mornings.

As calmly as he could, he pulled Naruto's fingers from his mouth and sat up, returning the boy's hand and clearing his throat softly.

Naruto was smiling at him, his cheeks slightly red but his eyes glittering with amusement.

"So, are you hungry?"

Oh, he was in deep shit later.

"...No, Dobe. I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"...Yes."

But, it was so fucking worth it to watch Sasuke squirm.

Just then there came the sound of hysterical laughter from right outside the room. They turned to the door to see none other than the-as Naruto described them- Crimson Twins.

Kao and Kamurou entered the room, faces split into identical mental patient grins.

"What's so funny?" Naruto asked suspiciously. Kamurou opened his mouth, but he broke out into a fit of evil giggles, and quickly turned away to try and regain his composure. Kao, who seemed to have slightly better self control shrugged, his lips twitching with suppressed laughter. "Nothing much. Just a little joke, is all." His voice was strained with fake innocence and suppressed humour.

Naruto raised his eyebrows. "A little joke?"

"Yes."

"The last time it was 'a little joke' you had shaved Sora's head and written 'Que-ball' on it in permanent marker. Isn't it still visible beneath his hair?" Gaara deadpanned.

Sasuke, Naruto, and several others including Kakashi snorted at that.

Kao's grin-if possible- widened even more. He looked extremely proud.

"Yes. And it's still as dark as ever. Some of the colour even leaked onto his hair." He stated. Kamurou was reduced to another fit of laughter.

"Oh, go sit down and get a hold of yourself!" Kao reprimanded, slapping his twin on the back and directing him to the couch. Kamurou nodded and dived face first into the pillows where he promptly laughed out loud, the sound muffled by the fabric.

"So, what did you do this time?" Naruto enquired excitedly. Kao smiled evilly.

"Well, we may have-"

"KAMUZUKI!"

Kao stopped mid sentence, his neon green eyes glinting excitedly as he turned to face the door. Everyone waited with bated breath, wondering who was going to storm through. The voice had belonged to that of a girl, so there were only a few options.

"If Temari comes through that door, I'll kill you." Gaara commented.

But there was no worry, for soon the sound of livid footsteps was audible.

Mizuru turned into the room, her face red and her eyes burning.

When she entered the room, she froze. She hadn't expected to walk into a room full of people. Let alone strangers. Her eyes widened comically in shock.

Everyone else couldn't speak. They were afraid that if they did, they'd laugh.

Mizuru's once-chocolate-brown hair was now a cascade of rainbow colours. There was bright blue, green, pink, purple, yellow, orange, red and even some white. On top of that, each strip of coloured hair had been braided, making each colour stand out separately.

She looked like she had a bunch of rainbow worms on her head.

But added to the colourful display was a large, mushroom-top looking hat, similar to the one's Sasuke had seen those Rastafarian people wear, only this one was much larger and saggier.

Kao looked over the girl, internally pissing himself with laughter. He and his brother had specifically come to this room, knowing that she would follow them. It was all part of their trap.

"Hello there, Mizuru-chan!" He called cheerfully, not bothering to hide the wicked grin across his face.

Kamurou was abusing the couch, laughing his ass off into the plushy pillows. There were even a few sobs escaping. Naruto had his fist stuffed in his mouth, trying to contain his explosive giggles. Sasuke was biting his lip, his eyes narrowed in the effort to stay silent. Kakashi was staring at the girl through his one visible eye, a grin evident beneath his mask. Tenten, Hinata and Chouji were shaking slightly with hidden chuckles. Neji was smirking. Gaara was staring impassively. Itachi was blinking slowly. Shikamaru was looking everywhere but at her.

Lee, on the other hand was staring at her. Blatantly staring at her.

The next thing anyone knew, he burst to his feet and ran towards her, grasping her hands tightly. She flinched as he stuck his face close to hers, eyes shining.

"I've never seen such a youthful display of creativity! It's absolutely astounding and filled with youthful energy! It's a statement of vibrant energy and youth!" he yelled gleefully.

That did it.

The room burst into fits of hysterical laughter. Naruto and Sasuke doubled over, their bodies shaking. Kao was on the floor, rolling around and crying tears of mirth. Even Itachi and Neji were chuckling audibly.

Lee was oblivious, and continued ranting on.

For a moment, Sasuke felt a bit sorry for the girl. She was absolutely mortified, her face red and her eyes glowing. But then, something else happened.

"What is with all the youthful laughter that is filling the halls this fine youthful morning?"

Gai happened.

The tall, muscular man stepped into the room, his eyes landing immediately on the rainbow haired girl in front of him. He blinked, his mouth opening in surprise.

Mizuru looked ready to piss herself in embarrassment.

"WHAT A WONDERFUL DISPLAY OF YOUTH!"

And so the laughter echoed through the entire mansion for another hour or so.

* * *

Kao strolled down the hallway slowly, his face split into a huge grin.

Somehow, Mizuru had managed to escape from Gai-sensei's clutches, as well as the miniature Gai that started the whole youthful affair. Kao had sent Kamurou to their room, the boy was laughing to much he was liable to suffocate.

Now, while the 'ghost hunters' continued chatting about, well, ghosts, Kao was roaming the halls, searching for something to do. It was a holiday, so there wasn't any school. Sora and Sai were busy with art or something, Temari and Kankuro were busy bickering over one thing or another, Gaara and Naruto were hanging with the ghost hunters and, as far as he knew, most of the younger kids had yet to wake up.

"Hmm, what to do?" he muttered softly.

He soon found himself near the music room. For a moment, he was tempted to go inside and try out that piano, but then sighed and turned away.

"Somehow, I don't think that's going to be as fun as it sounds." He grumbled. He was about to walk away when he heard some frantic whispering from the room. He paused, listening carefully.

"Those stupid little freaks! I'll kill them for this. How dare they do this! Argh!" there was a clattering sound, indicating something had been knocked over. Kao blinked as he realized whose voice it was.

"Mizuru."

He turned back to the door, wondering why the girl had taken refuge in the music room of all places. The door was open slightly, so he peeked through the crack. Mizuru was standing by the window, her hair still a mess of colour and braids. She had discarded the hat and was now frantically trying to un-braid her hair. In the process of ranting and brushing, she had kicked over the stool by the window, and that had knocked into the violin case nearby.

Kao sniggered as she struggled with her unruly locks, but there was something odd. He couldn't help but stare at the upturned stool. As he looked at the tiny wooden object, a wave of cold rushed over him sending chilled spikes up his spine. He narrowed his eyes, his breathing slowing down as he tried to figure out what was going on.

He looked over his shoulder, but there was no one else in the hall. Yet he could feel eyes watching the room alongside him. He could also feel something else. Something that seemed to pulsate and heat the air.

'_Rage. It feels like a fucking shitload of rage is surrounding me._' He realized.

Suddenly, his instincts went wild, telling him that this place wasn't safe. He straightened up and turned to leave, but froze as Mizuru's voice drifted back.

"Ouch. This is so not cool."

He hesitated. He knew he had to get away from there. But, could he really just leave her alone? As annoying as she could be, she was still a fellow human.

At least, she looked like one.

With a frustrated sigh, he turned and pushed the door open. "Oi, Mizuru! Come with me!" he called.

She spun around, her eyes glaring pure hatred at him. He cringed slightly. He should have expected this.

"You! You asshole, what the fuck do you want?"

"You need to come with me, now."

"What? The fuck would I listen to you for?"

"Look, you can beat me up later, but we've gotta get away from this room, now."

She gave him a very angry 'WTF' look and didn't move. He was growing impatient. His mind, body and heart were screaming for him to run. He'd learned long ago to listen to them.

"Come on!" he urged. She just snorted.

"No way am I going anywhere with you." She spat and almost as if to prove her anger, kicked the piano.

Kao's blood ran cold and his breath froze in his throat as a low sounding thud rang through the room. '_Oh fuck, she should not have done that._'

His body was wracked with shivers as another wave of cold washed over him. He saw Mizuru shiver, and knew that she had felt it too.

"K-kao?"

"Get here now!"

She started to move, her fear overriding all anger as she hurried towards him. He stood in the doorway, reaching out to her and urging her to hurry.

She was within an inch if his hand when the door slammed shut with an echoing crash. His arm was hit away, and his outstretched fingers crunched.

They were broken.

Kao had stumbled back in shock and pain when the wooden door slammed close. He fell against the opposite wall, wide eyed and clutching at his hand.

"_KAO_!"

"MIZURU!"

He could hear her screaming, her fists banging on the door desperately. He struggled to his feet, using his good hand to try and wrench the door open, but it wouldn't budge.

"Shit! SOMEONE HELP!" he yelled.

His eyes went wide as he heard the girl let out a piercing scream.

"NOOOOOOO! SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME! _HELP_!"

There came several long screams, accompanied by a sickening squelching noise that made Kao feel sick to his stomach before the screams were cut off completely.

The silence that followed was deafening.

He stared at the wood, hardly daring to breathe.

"M-mizu...ru?"

Nothing.

Not even a whimper.

With shaking fingers, he reached out for the door again. There were footsteps down the hall. Someone was coming now, but Kao already knew.

In his head, he denied it. He told himself that she was fine.

He willed his body to move, insisting she needed help.

He tried to ignore his heart, telling him it was too late.

"Mizu-" he cut himself off as the door swung open under his touch.

Red.

Red, everywhere.

Dripping.

Splattered.

In the middle of the sickly puddle of red, a still figure, limbs bent oddly. Beneath some red, was an array of rainbow colours.

Wide, tearful, petrified eyes gazed up at him.

But there was no light.

They were blank and empty at the same time.

They were dead.

_She _was dead.

And Kao was screaming.

* * *

***evil laughter* so, there we have part 1! and someone has already PERISHED! Things are getting serious now! Ohohohoho...who's next? Muahahahahaha.**

**I did warn at the very beginning of this story that there would most likely be deaths...and I wasn't kidding.**

**So far, I've only killed an O.C, but that may..just...change! *evil wailing laughter***

**Then again...if you've read Acomplishments, Mizuru's death may not be so terrible for you...oh well... **

**Reviews make the fanfiction world go round! And we all want that now don't we?  
**


	7. Crossing the Line! No Longer a Game 2

**AND BEHOLD! The continuation of Chapter 6 is here. I let you see what happened to Mizuru...behind the door! AHAHAHAHAHAAA!...and I'm sure(I hope) you can easily guess who the ghost is. It shouldn't be (isn't!) hard.**

** I don't own Naruto. If I did, it would not have been so popular because the plot would've died long ago.**

**Warnings: DEATH! AGAIN! BUT THE SAME PERSON!...yes, a re-cap death. Right at the start. Aren't I sweet?(insert sarcasm here) Swearing,(duh). Think that's it.  
**

**And so, on to the next chapter!  
**

**

* * *

Crossing the Line! No Longer a Game 2.**

**-Quick re-cap-**

Mizuru stood in the music room, frantically trying to un-braid her hair with shaking fingers.

She was so going to kill the twins later.

She had woken up that morning to find her head looking like a fucking kids commercial!

"Stupid little freaks! I'm going to kill them! How dare they do this!" she growled.

In her aggravation she kicked the stool nearby. It clattered to the floor before knocking into the violin case.

She winced at the loud noise. '_Whoops._'

She continued trying to comb her hair, but didn't fail to notice the sudden drop in temperature.

'_Okay, what the hell? Why's it so cold now?_'

She turned around a bit, looking about the room to see if there was an A.C or something. Her eyes found nothing, so she shrugged and went back to her rainbow hair. Her bitterness returned.

'_Dammit! And Sora said he was going to take me on a date sometime tonight too!_' she thought unhappily.

She felt another wave of cold, but once again couldn't find anything to be the cause, so she simply dismissed it as morning chills. Her fingers caught on a particularly large knot of hair and she winced.

"Ouch. This is so not cool." She complained.

Behind her she heard the door open. "Oi Mizuru! Come with me!"

She spun around at the voice and glowered at the crimson haired boy standing in the doorway. Distantly, she noted that Kao seemed to be a bit pale and his eyes were slightly fearful, but she was too angry to think about it.

"You! You asshole, what the fuck do you want?" she demanded. He only shivered slightly.

"You need to come with me, now."

She glared at him. "What? The fuck would I listen to you for?"

"Look, you can beat me up later, but we've gotta get away from this room, now."

She stared at him, her mind screaming '_What the fuck? What's with him._'

She could see him starting to lose patience and simply snorted. "No way am I going anywhere with you." She spat. She had tried to comb her hair while speaking, but her fingers caught on another knot. In utter frustration at the situation, she kicked out, her foot hitting the piano and sending a low thud echoing through the room.

The cold increased and suddenly she felt something. Something sinister.

Her eyes widened slightly as a shiver ran down her spine.

"K-kao?" she whimpered. She didn't want to be alone. She knew if she was alone, something bad would happen.

"Come here now!"

'_Hurry. Thank God he stayed there. Hurry!_' she turned and started towards him, but her breath hitched.

She couldn't move properly. It felt like she was wading through water or something. '_W-what is t-this?_' Kao was standing at the doorway, his arm outstretched. She wanted to grab his hand.

If she could grab his hand, she would be safe.

Her ears picked something up. The sound of slow, ragged breathing.

Not from her.

Not from Kao.

From behind her.

She moved faster. She had to hurry. Her body was screaming and she was shivering.

She was so close. She could almost touch him.

The door slammed shut, a sickening crunch of breaking bones sounding from the other side.

"KAO!" she screeched before she felt something slipping around her leg. She lurched forwards, spinning around. Her back met the wooden door as she gazed at the once empty room.

'_...I-impossible._' She whimpered mentally.

Before her was the shape of a man. Tall and pale with long, greasy black hair that hung around his face, framing gaunt cheeks and sickening yellow eyes. The man was leering at her, a cruel and angry smirk curving his thin lips. He was so pale, and the light seemed to go right through him.

She could only stare in terror as he opened his mouth, and a long, snake-like tongue came curling out. She felt sick watching as the appendage started heading towards her. When she felt it swipe against her arm, wrapping around the limb, she broke out of her daze and began to struggle.

"NOOOOO! SOMEONE HELP ME! HELP!" she screamed as loudly as she could.

The tongue was gripping her arm painfully hard, and she used her leg to kick at the door behind her, begging for help while using her other arm to try and free herself.

The man/thing raised his arm slowly, his yellow eyes glinting with malice. Once his fingers were pointed straight at her, he swiped through the air.

Mizuru screamed out in pain as deep gashes appeared across her chest, stomach and legs. The appendage wrapped around her arm sprung to life again, twisting and pulling.

She felt her shoulder snap out of joint with a loud crack and couldn't stop the cries and screams escaping her mouth as the pain increased.

'_Oh my god! Oh my god! Someone help me! Kao! Sora! Someone! ANYONE!_'

The tongue had wrapped around her leg, snapping that almost clean in half if not for the flesh and muscle. Her throat was burning from all the screaming. Blood was running freely, pooling at her feet. She realized that she was suspended above floor, the blood running down her legs and feet, dripping like some leaky faucet in a sick horror circus.

She was screaming. Underneath it, she heard someone banging on the door and calling out.

A slight tingle of hope appeared in her heart. Maybe, just maybe she would survive.

As soon as the thought crossed her mind, she saw those hateful yellow eyes flash and a wicked grin spread around the sickly pink tongue.

The thing raised his hand, one finger extended.

It was pointed at her head. Right between her eyes.

She stared in horror. A scream began to tear from her throat.

The finger was flicked carelessly.

Her head twisted, the bones in her neck snapping with a loud crunch.

She went limp, dropping to the floor in a tangle of bloodied limbs.

The man disappeared.

Not a minute later the door was opened.

Three seconds later, Kao was screaming.

* * *

"What's going on here?"

"Hey, Kao what's-OH MY GOD!"

"Shit! SOMEONE CALL THE AMBULANCE!"

"Holy shit! _Holy shit!_"

"Don't go in there! Oh god, it's everywhere."

"Oi, calm down!"

"He's freaking out! Snap out of it, kid!"

"What in Heaven's name is going on down here?"

"Iruka-sensei, there's been an accident."

"What do you-OH MY GOD! TSUNADE! SHIZUNE!"

"It's too late...She's already dead."

"Ah! Sasuke! Oi, what's wrong?"

"Sasuke! Don't look! Go upstairs with Naruto right now."

"But, Itachi-san-"

"Naruto, take him upstairs now! He can't be around something like this!"

"Wh-"

"GO!"

Naruto quickly wrapped his arms around Sasuke, who had fallen to his knees at the sight of all the blood. He began dragging the boy away, struggling through the growing crowd.

"Naruto-nii? What happened?"

Naruto twisted around to see the other orphans heading here way. '_Shit, they can't see this!_'

"Nothing! Get away from here now!" he snapped.

Konohamaru and the others paused in their steps, noticing the panic in his voice. Sora stepped out from behind them and crossed his arms.

"What the hell? What's got your thong in a twist?" he snorted.

Naruto took one look at him before he found he couldn't meet the boy's eyes.

Mizuru was dead. How was he supposed to tell her boyfriend that she was dead when she'd been alive, laughing and talking a few hours, no, minutes before?

"J-just get away. Trust me, Sora, you don't want to go down there. And the younger kids cannot see this." The blonde said, his voice so solemn everyone felt nervous. It was so unlike the blonde.

"O-oi, Naruto, where's Kao?"

Naruto looked up to face Kamurou. The crimson head's eyes were wide, his face showing the fears that Naruto wanted to deny. Just then, Shizune appeared, took one look into the room and screamed. Tsunade pushed passed her, yelling for her to calm down. When the blonde re-emerged from the room, there was blood on her hands. Kamurou's face went pale and he glared directly at Naruto.

"Where the fuck is my brother?"

"He's fine, but he's...he's in a serious state right now. He's gotten a major shock."

"What does that mean?"

"K-Kamurou!"

They turned to see Kao, white-faced and shaking stumbling towards them. Kamurou moved to hug his older twin, concern etched into his already scarred face. "Kao! What happened?"

"M-M-Mi-"

"Don't! Goddammit you guys, I told you to get the fuck away from here!" Naruto snapped. He was stressed, and scared and worried and fucking angry. He couldn't let his friends see the sight of Mizuru lying broken in a pool of her own blood. He couldn't let the younger children be exposed to such a horrific sight.

He had to get them away.

He had to get Sasuke away. The raven was still paralyzed. Naruto recognized the eyes that were staring blankly ahead. Sasuke was afraid. The sight of so much blood had triggered something. He had to get everyone away. The caretaker's were frantic, calling for police and ambulances. Kakashi was telling the crew to help, was yelling at some to calm down and go away. Itachi turned and came up behind Naruto, sending a thick glare to the others.

"This is no place for children! All of you, back to your rooms this instant!" he ordered harshly. The younger children flinched and moved away, not resisting. However, Sora, Sai, Temari, Kankuro, Kamurou and his brother remained. Kamurou was trying to get his brother to calm down, but Kao was still in shock. He clutched onto the other's arms, face buried into Kamurou's chest as he gave dry sobs.

"What's going on?" Temari demanded. Itachi was on the verge of snapping when Gaara came up beside him, fixing the others with a harsh gaze.

"Mizuru was just murdered by a ghost. That's what's going on." He said, his voice never wavering but his eyes betrayed the distress he was hiding.

The world seemed to lose colour as Naruto pushed past the stunned teens, his eyes hidden under his bangs. He pulled Sasuke away, heading for the stairs and leading the raven to his room.

As he closed the door, he heard Sora cry out in anguish.

* * *

Sasuke couldn't move.

"_Mother?"_

He couldn't think.

"_Mother, where are you?"_

He couldn't breathe.

"_M-mother?"_

Blood.

"_S...su...e..."_

Everywhere. Red blood.

"_Mother!"_

Dripping. Spreading. Soaking.

Flowing.

Like an endless river of gore and pain.

Through his memories and his sight.

He couldn't see anything else.

He could only see the blood.

Could only watch as it stained the floor around it.

He wanted to scream out, but his voice was lost in his throat.

He was scared.

He needed to get out.

"_SASUKE!"_

"_ITACHI! IT'S MOM! SHE'S HURT!"_

"_Sa..su..ke!"_

"_MOTHER!"_

"_Sasuke! Run!"_

"_Mo-"_

_Breath. Fluttering over his neck like a small butterfly made of sinister energy._

_No sound. No thought. _

_Just fear._

_Turning slowly...slowly...to face something was wasn't real._

_Couldn't be real. It was impossible. Because they weren't natural. Because then nothing in the world was certain. No one was safe.  
_

"_NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

* * *

_

Sasuke was lost in his memories. He couldn't even hear Naruto calling his name.

His eyes were glazed, his face white and sickly. He didn't move. Couldn't move.

"...S...s..ke..."

"_S...u...ke..."_

'_Mother?_'

"Sas...ke!"

'_No. It's not mother...then...Itachi?'_

"SASUKE!"

His head flew to the side as a fist made contact with his jaw, sharp pain spiking out from the impact.

He snapped out of his daze with the pain, and slowly turned back to face a pair of worried blue eyes.

"N-Naruto?"

"Sasuke! Thank god, you bastard!" Naruto sighed, wrapping the stunned Uchiha into a tight hug. Sasuke stayed still for a moment longer, his mind still pulling itself out of bad memories before he returned the hug slowly.

"Sorry." He whispered, burying his face into the golden hair.

Naruto heaved another relieved sigh, hugging a bit tighter.

It took a few moments for Sasuke to realized that the blonde was shaking, as well as realize the slight wetness that was forming on his shoulder.

"N-Naruto?" he asked, rubbing said boy's back soothingly. Naruto let out a small sob in reply, shaking his head.

"I just c-can't really believe it. S-she was perfectly fine an h-hour ago and now she's...she's just gone." He whispered slowly through is tears. His sobs grew in number as the gravity of the situation weighed down on him, and he buried his face into Sasuke's chest.

Sasuke made hushing noises, trying to calm his distressed boyfriend, but he knew he couldn't do much. He was shocked that someone was dead, yes. And the sight of blood had triggered unwanted memories. But he hadn't personally known the girl, or even really acquainted himself with her. So he couldn't comprehend what the other children could be feeling.

"W-what are we going to do, Sasuke? A few odd noises and some objects moving around is one thing, but now there's attacks! It's fucking murder now! Whatever's in this fucking house is dangerous! We can't stay here! But we have nowhere else to go! We all going to-mmph!"

Sasuke kissed Naruto harshly, sucking and biting on the blonde's lower lip. He needed to distract the boy from his rampant thoughts. It would do no good for him to freak out right now.

Naruto gripped Sasuke's shirt, pulling him closer as their tongues battled fiercely. He needed the contact; he needed the heat of a living body to keep him grounded and stop him from sinking into terrified thoughts.

They held each other, feeling each other's rapid heartbeats and hearing the small moans they made. Finally, air came clawing at their throats, so they parted with a loud smack.

Panting and flushed they gazed into each other's eyes, seeking reassurance from each other. They understood without words one thing.

They didn't want to be alone right now.

Without a word, the two climbed into Naruto's bed, sinking under the covers and entwining their limbs. Naruto had his head pressed against Sasuke's chest, and the raven was resting his chin atop the golden hair, relishing the scent that belonged to Naruto.

They lay there in a silence that was only punctuated with a small sniffle from Naruto, or a soothing hush from Sasuke. Soon, they fell asleep, escaping the current danger of the waking world and slipping into, what they hoped, was a more peaceful land of slumber.

* * *

It was chaos.

That was the best word to describe it.

Absolute fucking _chaos_.

Itachi sighed wearily. '_I think I've lost about twenty years this morning alone._' He thought.

He looked up from his place in front of the burly police officer. He was giving his account of the story, but he didn't have much to say. All he could tell was he'd been sitting with the others, heard a scream from far down the hall and rushed with the others in time to see Kao lose it and start freaking out.

He peeked over his shoulder to the crimson boy, his gut wrenching at the blank look that had taken over. The boy had gone into shock, not talking to anyone. Even Kamurou couldn't get a response. He just sat there, staring ahead, the most haunted look in his dulled eyes.

Kamurou was sitting beside him, rubbing his arms and trying to coerce him into speech. Itachi grimaced at the slightly desperate look on the younger's face. He remembered that feeling.

He'd felt the same trying to get Sasuke out of his shock upon finding their parents bodies.

He sighed and turned away, not wanting to revisit those memories just then. He heard a sob to his left, and found Iruka trying to talk, but failing. Kakashi was beside him, giving the man a slight hug in an attempt to calm him down. The other caretakers, excluding Tsuande who was talking to the coroner, were upstairs taking care of the children.

Sora had locked himself in his room, refusing to talk to anyone. Sai and Kankuro has spent an hour trying to get him to open the door, but they were only met with quiet sobs or muffled yells of 'why'.

Everyone in Rei-Senzai was feeling like shit.

They had, after all, been hired to put a stop to all the supernatural bullshit that was going on, and yet they hadn't done a thing. The result?

A dead girl in the music room.

A load of guilt and responsibility weighed down on their backs, and it made them all the more determined to solve this problem.

Itachi could see the gears whirring in Kakashi's mind as he spoke to the cops. There was no way the silver haired man would sit back and keep going at their original pace now that things have reached this level.

"Itachi."

The Uchiha looked over at Shikamaru, noting the disturbed look on the boy's face. "What is it?"

"...I set up a camera in the music room, and I've just recovered the tape. You should see this."

With that, Shikamaru turned and retreated down the hall. Itachi followed, feeling the police's eyes on him, glaring suspiciously.

Idiots.

He walked after the brunette until they reached the spare room where the equipment was set up. Several monitors were set up, giving views of the many rooms in the house. Itachi noted that nothing seemed out of place except for the large blotch of black in the music room, indicating the blood.

Shikamaru reached over to a blank monitor and switched it on. The screen crackled a bit before the picture cleared, showing a blood free music room.

"Okay, this is a while we're all in the living room laughing. See here?" Shikamaru pointed to the corner. Itachi leaned in and frowned.

A small figure was crouched in the corner, reading something. He couldn't make out a face, and screen was black and white, so he couldn't determine with colours either.

"Who do you think that is?" he asked. Shikamaru gave a one shouldered shrug.

"No clue. But it's not a ghost. Now watch, they leave a few minutes before Mizuru goes in." He said, indicating the screen again.

Sure enough, the small figure stood up and scurried out of the room and less than five minutes later, Mizuru came darting in, fingers threading through her hair jerkily.

They watched as she untangled braid after braid, obviously muttering curses.

"Now here's where it gets strange." Shikamaru murmured. Itachi watched carefully.

Mizuru seemed to lose her temper and kicked a chair, sending it across the floor and into another object. As soon as it hit, the screen jerked and scrambled before straightening out. However, unlike a few seconds ago, it wasn't clear. Instead it looked like a mist had descended into the room.

"Spiritual presence." Itachi noted gravely. Shikamaru nodded.

"And it gets worse."

They watched as Kao opened the door and started signalling for her to follow.

"Looks like he might've sensed something was off."

"Ah. Looks that way."

They saw Mizuru turn away and kick the piano.

The mist swirled and the screen flickered again.

Mizuru started heading for the door and then it slammed shut.

"...What the fuck?" Itachi hissed.

They could see a shape. The figure of a man standing a way off behind the frantic girl.

"Oh my god, I'm going to be sick." Shikamaru groaned, covering his mouth as they watched a long, pink, snake-like tongue extend and tighten around the girls arm.

"Turn it off. I don't want to see more." Itachi stated, turning away. He had no desire to watch a younger girl get murdered by a spirit with a snake-tongue. Shikamaru gladly obliged and switched the screen off, his face still scrunched in disgust.

"So, we know what killed her. How do we tell that to the cops?"

Itachi groaned and rubbed his temples to ward of the oncoming headache. He thought carefully, knowing that the police wouldn't believe them even with the tape. They would most likely be arrested for fraud evidence and suspected murder.

Idiots.

"We don't. We'll solve this thing on our own. But not before making a few necessary changes."

They turned to see Kakashi leaning in the doorway, his visible eye serious.

"What changes?" Shikamaru enquired slowly. Kakashi looked at him sternly.

"The orphans and caretakers will stay somewhere else. Only the crew will stay behind, and what's more, we'll wear special protective charms. I've already got Lee and Neji working on them. Itachi," The raven looked up. "Would you prefer Sasuke go with the orphans?"

Itachi stayed very still for a moment, lost in thought. Finally, he sighed wearily.

"That is not my choice to make. I'll have to ask him. Something tells me that he's got a very big conflict going on with him right now." He said.

Kakashi nodded in understanding and turned. "Well, go ask him now. I want the children out by tonight. That's final." He said and left without another word.

Shikamaru turned to Itachi, an eyebrow raised.

"What?"

"You think Sasuke has changed his mind?"

"Maybe. With all of this happening, I think he's starting to return to his old opinion."

"So he's not going to cling to your old assurances anymore? But even so, why would he stay here when it's unsafe?" Shikamaru asked. Itachi smiled slightly.

"No. He's gone past clinging to my every word. And Sasuke has never been one to run away. He'll stay."

* * *

"_Sasuke?"_

_..._

"_Sasuke, come on. Say something."_

_..._

_Nothing. Not even a batted eyelid._

_Itachi let out an exhausted breath, his normally expressionless face scrunching up in concern. It had been two weeks since their parents were killed, and Sasuke had yet to say a word. The older raven already had his hands full with police, news reporters and lawyers. Every day was draining, and it didn't help to come home and find out there was no progress with his beloved little brother._

"_Sasuke. You know I'm here for you. I'm still here, and I'm not going to leave" He called out just once more. This would be his last attempt that night. Then he would tuck his little brother into bed and retire himself._

_He watched as his brother remained blank, feeling his chest clench painfully with each passing second of silence. He let out another tired sigh before standing up. He was about to turn and go to his own room when he heard a whimper and felt a tug on his sleeve._

_Freezing in his tracks, he slowly glanced over his shoulder._

_The sight that met him made his heart ache._

_Sasuke sat on his bed, the covers hiding his legs from view. One hand was bracing himself up. The other was stretched out and clutching tightly to Itachi's sleeve. But what made Itachi's heart ache was the look on the boy's face._

_His once blank eyes were bright with unshed tears, and pleading. His lower lip was trapped in his teeth as he fought against the trembles, but even so Itachi could see how shaky he was. _

_The older raven turned around to face his brother, bending down and pulling the smaller boy into a hug. Sasuke returned it shakily, burying his head into Itachi's shoulder. His small frame began to tremble and soon Itachi could feel his shoulder becoming damp with the smaller boy's tears._

"_Shh..It's okay, Sasuke. I'm here." He whispered soothingly, rubbing the boy's back. Sasuke sniffled miserably and pulled back just enough to look into his big brother's face._

"_B-but they're d-dead! They were k-killed!" he whimpered. Itachi's eyes saddened and he reached one hand to brush a few tears away from the boy's eyes._

"_Yes. But we are alive. And we will continue living, just like they wanted us to." He said firmly. Sasuke hiccupped and Itachi pulled him into another hug._

_A few moments passed with nothing but the soft sobs of the younger boy. The sun had set fully, and the small lamp beside Sasuke's bed was dim, casting long shadows over their figures. Itachi made a mental note to get a new bulb. He knew Sasuke was nervous around the dark now._

"_Nii-san?"_

"_Yes?"_

"_...Did a ghost really kill mom and dad?"_

_Itachi paused, wondering what to say to this. He had always known spirits were real. After all, his friend Kakashi had gotten into a few troubles with the supernatural, and he'd dragged Itachi along for the ride, unfortunately. _

_He also knew that Sasuke had never quite known what to think. When he'd heard about ghosts, the small boy had questioned their existence. Itachi wondered whether if was the best thing for his little brother to know the truth._

"_Why do you ask?"_

"_B-because, if it was a ghost...then we aren't safe! We can't go anywhere to be safe from them! They can go through walls and yet they can kill us too! How are we going to fight a ghost!" the younger replied fearfully._

_No...it would be better for him if he didn't know the truth. Itachi couldn't let his little brother live in such fear._

"_No. Ghosts aren't real. Whatever happened to mother and father, it has a logical explanation behind it." He said evenly._

_For the rest of the night, Sasuke spent hours trying to figure out logical ways that there parents were killed. Although it didn't make him feel better about their deaths, Itachi could see he wasn't scared anymore. He gave an invisible smile._

_Sometimes, one must lie to keep those they love, innocent.

* * *

_

"Sasuke."

The door made a slight creaking noise as Itachi carefully pushed it open. The sight that greeted him almost forced a smile on his face, but he caught it in time.

Sasuke was lying on the bed, on his back. One arm was slung upwards carelessly, his fingers curled against the headboard. His hair was splayed out around his face, his lips slightly parted as he breathed deeply. A head of golden hair was resting peacefully on his chest, rising slowly with each breath the raven took. Naruto's hands were curled childishly near his face, and the tiny little snores that escaped only served to add to the young image. Sasuke's other arm was wrapped protectively around the blonde's shoulders, hugging him close.

Itachi carefully advanced into the room, trying not to make any noise. He managed to get beside the bed and crouched down.

He watched his little brother and his boyfriend sleep, and allowed the smallest of smiles to show through. He noticed a slight tear trail on the blonde's cheeks, and slowly reached forward to brush it away.

His wrist was caught in a death grip and he jerked his head up in surprise. He calmed down seeing it was only Sasuke. The younger raven was staring at him, his eyes still blurred from sleep but alter. When the boy's vision cleared, he relaxed his grip and gave a sigh. "I thought you were some homicidal spirit." He whispered. Itachi shrugged.

"Spirit, no. Homicidal, maybe." He replied. Sasuke smirked.

"So why are you here?"

"Kakashi wants the orphans to leave this house and stay somewhere else until we get rid of these spirits."

Sasuke's smirk faded and was replaced with a thoughtful frown.

"That is most likely the best idea. It's best to keep innocents away." He said quietly, glancing down at the sleeping blonde. Itachi noticed the optical movement and sighed.

"You can go with them."

Sasuke snapped his head up, glaring at his brother. "You think I'm too weak to deal with a bunch of ectoplasm spewing pricks?" he growled.

Itachi raised his hands in a peaceful gesture. "Not at all. Once you learn a banish chant or whatever, I know you'd be very capable. However, Kakashi and I are thinking about your newest bond. You'd be in danger staying here. In fact, I'm sure Kakashi is going to force quite a few of our own members to leave. He'll most likely only keep the older and more experienced ones."

Sasuke thought for a moment, glancing at the blonde again. After a long silence he looked back at his brother. "What are the chances of us fixing this thing?" he asked.

Itachi sighed. "The less people there are, the less chance we have of finding the problem. We do need help, but at the same time, we can't risk other's lives without their consent. Most of the crew are still young. They shouldn't be risking their lives like this." He muttered the last part.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "If that's the case, why the hell did you hire such young people?" he retorted. It seemed Itachi had nothing to answer to that.

The two Uchiha's sat in silence for a long while, the only thing breaking it being the gentle snores and occasional murmurs from the dozing blonde.

"I'll stay."

Itachi looked up from his lap, seeing Sasuke staring down at the blonde on his chest. The older raven gave a small smirk.

"You want to protect him by getting rid of the thing that might kill him." He stated. Sasuke spared him a glare before returning his softened gaze to the boy.

"Yes. So what? I want to protect something important. You said you need all the help you can get right? Well, I'm a part of this company, so I'm going to do my job." He said quietly, running his fingers over one of Naruto's cheeks, tracing the whisker like markings.

Itachi watched the affectionate gesture, slightly impressed.

"You've only known him for a few days and yet you've fallen head over heel for him." He commented. Sasuke smirked.

"Yeah, guess it was fate." He said. Itachi chuckled, well aware that his brother was mocking Neji's way of thinking. He looked back at the couple and sighed again.

"Very well. I'll tell Kakashi your decision. Later on Lee is going to be teaching everyone some simple banishing chants and protection spells or whatever. Be in the living room by then. And good luck telling your boyfriend that you're putting your life on the line." He said, smirking at the scowl sent his way.

When he was out in the corridor, however, his smirk was replaced with a determined grimace.

He wondered how many other members would stay despite the danger.

* * *

Kakuzu drove slowly up the trail, heading for the old mansion he'd visited the previous day. He'd gotten a call from Kakashi moments before leaving, and had been shocked to hear about the death of one of the orphans.

"I'm going to do a full sweep of that house! I'll bet it's Lord Jashin! He's very brutal that way! The fucker."

Kakuzu gave a mental sigh and glanced to his partner in the passenger seat. Why they put him with Hidan of all people was beyond him.

Why Hidan was even considered an employee of Rei-Senzai was even more confusing. The guy did fuck all.

Kakuzu was in charge of the finances since Kakashi sucked at Maths. He also delivered most of the things left behind.

Sasori and Deidara were in charge of gathering information. Sasori had a way of manipulating people, like some sort of puppeteer, and could often get classified info rather easily. Deidara was a master at finding blue prints.

On the side, Deidara dealt with explosive material. You never knew when blowing shit up would come in handy some day.

Kisame had a lot of contacts that could get a lot of business and useful comrades.

Then there were a few other field agents who dealt with cases elsewhere.

Currently, Pein, Konan, Zetsu and Tobi were in L.A. Something about a haunted theatre.

"And then, they'll have to offer him a live sacrifice. Only if they do that will he spare the res of those bitches souls. Heh."

"Hidan. Shut up."

"Fuck you, money-bags."

"I'm going to kill you."

"As if you could asshole!"

Kakuzu sighed, this time audibly. He glanced at the small clock on the dashboard.

Great. Still another ten minutes before they arrived.

Hopefully he didn't crash the car in an attempt to find some silence before then.

* * *

**Lol, team Zombie moment.**

**And so there's the second part of that chapter. How was it? I have no idea when the next update shall come out, so please bear with me! Read a bunch of other great stories while you wait! And just a reminder, I've only got the basic idea of what I want to happen. I haven't really planned this whole story out. I'm thumbsucking the minor details as I go along, so sorry if some things are pretty anticlimatic! **

**Anyhoo, hope you enjoyed. OH! Before I forget! Those spells and shit in the last chapter? I made those up. They are in no way real, I practicallypulled the words out of my ass just to get something there!  
**


	8. Getting the Facts Straight Departure

**Ooookay! Here's the next one! I think I must be superhuman, updating so soon! ...well, it also might be because there's no school for me right now, so I've got shitloads of freetime...but I think the superhuman theory is cooler. (lol!...not. :/)**

**Alright, so certain things are revealed here, like a bit of Chi Dori's past! (you all know she's important, so don't ask 'why her and not someone else?' I'll kill you!)**

**Warnings: Lots of swearing in some parts(Hidan's here of course there's swearing!) Mentions of child abuse(oh yeah)**

**Disclaimer: I won Naruto in a game of poker, but then Kishimoto-sensei caught me cheating and took him back. Darn.  
**

**

* * *

Getting the Facts Straight. Departure.  
**

The room was quiet and dark. The elegant curtains draped over the windows were shut, keeping out the morning sunlight, creating an illusion of late evening to the group gathered in the cramped sitting area.

Kakashi was sitting in a straight back chair, a plastic folder in his hands. Through his one visible eye he was staring down at the cover, deep in thought.

Itachi was next to him, his onyx eyes narrowed in annoyance at the man sitting before him.

Hidan was returning the annoyed stare, his arms crossed over his barely covered chest and his lips pulled into a childish pout. Kakuzu was beside him and across from Kakashi, simply waiting for the silver haired man to speak or move.

Shikamaru, Tenten and Shino were sitting in the far right corner, waiting patiently. Chouji was there too, a bag of chips in his hands as he ate quietly. Neji and Hinata were sitting on a comfortable couch near the doorway, wearing similar expressions of curiosity and patience. Lee was standing behind them, arms crossed and his foot tapping to keep himself from bursting out into a long speech.

Sakura and Ino were sitting to the left of Kakashi, ready to grab anything and do whatever he asked.

Sasuke was standing in the far corner of the room, half in shadow. He was leaning against the wall casually, but the calculating gleam in his eye demonstrated his serious attitude at the moment.

The silence continued for ten more minutes.

And then...

"Oh for _fuck_'s sake, open the fucking folder Grandpa! We don't have all fucking day!"

Hidan opened his big mouth.

Kakashi stiffened at the 'grandpa' comment, his eye flashing dangerously. "And why am I a grandpa?"

"Because you have grey hair! That's why! What, too fucking stupid to figure it out on your own?" Hidan replied cockily.

Kakuzu gave a deep sigh before reaching up and grabbing a few strands of his 'partners' hair. He yanked them out, earning an indignant screech from Hidan.

"Ow! The fuck is _wrong _with you asshole! That fucking hurt!"

"Look. Tell me what colour this is." Kakuzu replied in his baritone voice. Hidan gave a confused frown, staring at the small hairs.

"They're silver. And?"

"Silver. Grey. Same thing. So according to your logic, this makes you a grandpa, does it not?" Kakuzu smirked, releasing the hairs and letting them float to the ground.

"Fuck you, Stitches! With something hard and sandpapery!" Hidan yelled, glaring at the older man. Kakuzu placed a hand over his ear, frowning.

"So loud. So annoying. Kakashi, I want a new partner." He said. Kakashi sighed.

"Sorry, but if I put him with anyone else, they'll try to kill him." He said, giving the other man an apologetic smile. Kakuzu groaned.

"Damn."

"I know. We all feel for you." Kakashi assured.

"Fuck you assholes! The lot of you! You're all a bunch of fucking cheese-dicks! You're fucking useless!" Hidan screeched, pointing to the two men in front of him.

Sasuke scoffed. "Weak dogs bark more than others." He said, earning a snicker from his boss.

Hidan spun around to face the young raven, his face turning into a leer.

"Oh? If it isn't little Sasu-chan! So, I heard that you got yourself a fuck buddy! Have you fucked him up good?" he sneered.

Sasuke growled audibly, straightening up and glaring at the man. "Don't you ever call him that again you shit-faced twat."

"The fuck you call me, brat?" Hidan growled, rising from his seat. Sasuke met his glare and the two of them moved to the centre of the room, staring each other down. They looked ready to tear each other apart when Itachi quickly stood between them.

"That's enough. Sasuke, ignore him. Hidan, keep your mouth shut." He ordered sternly, glaring at both of them. Sasuke growled at Hidan but retreated back to his corner all the same. Hidan 'hmphed' and fell into his seat, crossing his arms and burning holes into the carpet with his eyes.

Kakashi glanced between the two before refocusing on the folder in his hands.

"So this is all the information you got?" he questioned. Kakuzu nodded.

"Everything we could find. This place is exactly 100 years old this year. It was troublesome to find the information of who built this place." Kakuzu said.

Kakashi opened the folder and started reading.

"Oh, it was built in 1910, huh? You're right then. That means this house is exactly 100 years old now." He said.

"1910? That's only four years before the First World War started." Shikamaru commented off-handedly.

Kakashi nodded and looked at the page.

"Read the file aloud, Kakashi." Sasuke said. Kakashi nodded again and cleared his throat.

"Let's see. The house was built in 1910 by someone named Yakushi Orochimaru, who was a wealthy nobleman type person. He built the house and lived here with his family including his eldest son Kabuto, his daughter Guren, and then two younger sons by the names of Kimimaro and Yuukimaru.

Uh, his wife died eight years prior. She was...what's this here? Oh, she had breast cancer. Poor girl. After the death of his wife, Orochimaru became very reclusive. Where'd you find this? It sounds like a school report!" He asked, looking at Kakuzu incredulously.

"Sasori and Deidara found a lot of it. And Kisame spoke to some college professors who know the history of the area. If you read on you'll see why it's written like a report." The dark-skinned man replied with a shrug.

"Oh, okay. Maa, let's see here. Uh...Okay, he became a recluse, hiding away in his house and only emerging on rare occasion to visit the graveyard. His son Kabuto got into medical school, studying to be a top notch physician. Guren was left at home to care for her younger siblings. Uh, it says here that they hired four, no wait, five servants.

And their names were, Jirobo, Ukon, Sakon, Tayuya and...Kidomaru.

Hm?...Oh, I see what you meant. In 1913, July 12th, Kabuto was arrested for doing illegal experiments on several people who had gone missing a year before. However, he escaped from the police, and fled. When authorities arrived at Orochimaru's mansion, it was to find the bodies of the five slaves, horrible mutilated with what was later confirmed as a scalpel. Kabuto was blamed for the murders and the disappearance of the family.

When the First World War started a year later, the case was dropped as it was going nowhere, with no new leads." Kakashi leant back and cleared his throat. **(1)**

The others in the room had migrated closer in order to catch every word, some of them leaning forward in order to hear better. Sasuke was now sitting next to Itachi, occasionally glaring at Hidan from the corner of his eyes. But the rainbow-language man was too busy picking at his nails to notice. Either that or he didn't care.

"So wait, you mean that the son went psycho and killed his own family?" Sakura asked, eyes wide. Shikamaru grunted.

"It doesn't say that. It only says they disappeared. There's nothing there that says the family was killed. For all we know, they may have helped the guy." He pointed out.

Itachi nodded. "Right. Are there any descriptions?" he asked.

Kakashi flipped through the folder until he found some old photographs of a family portrait.

"Hey Neji, take a look at this." He said, handing the brunette the photo. Neji looked down and his eyes widened immediately.

"It's him!" he said.

There were gasps and everyone turned to him. "What do you mean? Who?"

Neji held the photo up, pointing to a man with his hair tied up in a high pony-tail and a pair of round spectacles on his face. "He's the one that attacked Kurenai-sensei."

Sasuke shuddered at the memory, the events of that morning making it all the worse.

Kakashi ran a hand through his hair wearily. '_Great. Someone is summoning the ghost of a homicidal maniac. Fucking perfect._' He thought drily.

Shikamaru studied the photograph, his eyes narrowing. "Oi, Itachi. Look at the father." He said suddenly.

Itachi took the photo and stared at the man. He was tall, pale and had thick black hair hanging in curtains around his face. His eyes were narrow and snake-like. An almost cruel smile adorned his lips.

"Well that's not good." He muttered.

"What? Itachi, what's wrong?" Sasuke asked. Itachi sighed and indicated the man.

"This is the one that killed Mizuru this morning. We saw him on the video tape." He said evenly.

A hushed tension erupted at this. Everyone was feeling tense at the new information. They now knew who the ghosts were, but it there was still a few gaps to look over.

"Kakashi."

"Hm?"

"Continue reading the file."

Kakashi brushed some hair out of his eye, and leant back in his seat. He found his place after scanning the papers and continued.

"Let's see...The house remained mostly empty during World War 1 with the exception of a few police visits. In 1923 a large family moved in. The Utakata family. The household consisted of the mother, father, three daughters and one son. The family lived in the house for a total of one year before...tragedy struck." Silence followed. Kakashi eyed Kakuzu wearily, but the man nearly nodded. "On July 12th, 1924, a call came from the household, the caller screaming for help. When Police arrived at the house, everyone had been slaughtered save for the youngest son. He was found locked in the bathroom on the third floor. When police questioned him he claimed loss of memory.

He was placed in an orphanage and was later adopted by Takamatsu Hikaru.

In 1930, the Fuujin family moved in. The head of the house, a wealthy realtor, soon took his family and moved again, after only two months in the house. When questioned about his abrupt change, he claimed that his children were being traumatized by strange occurrences.

In 1936, the..." Kakashi stopped abruptly, his eye growing wide. Everyone looked up at the sudden silence.

"What is it, Kakashi?" Itachi asked slowly. Kakashi looked up.

"It says the next family that moved in was the Chi family, immigrants from China." He said.

Silence.

Confused silence.

A gasp.

"...Chi Dori." Sasuke murmured, his eyes narrowing.

Everyone jerked at the revelation, mouths opened and a few gasps were heard.

"So, she has descendants from this house?" Itachi questioned. Kakashi's eyes skimmed over the information and he nodded.

"Ah. The Chi family stayed in the house right up until 2003. The family generations didn't leave the house." He said.

"Then why did they leave in 2003?" Ino questioned.

Hidan suddenly smirked up at them. "They didn't leave." He said.

Kakashi turned to him, eyebrow raised. "What does that mean?"

Hidan smiled sadistically, his eyes brightening.

"They didn't leave. They didn't set foot out of that front door. They just..._vanished_." he snapped his fingers as he said it, Sakura and Ino jumping at the noise.

Sasuke sighed and rubbed his face. This was all so weird.

"So, what about Dori? She's still here. Kurenai-sensei said that they found her in the house when they moved in. Can't we ask her?" he suggested.

Kakashi remembered the odd encounter he had with the girl and sighed.

"We can try."

* * *

"_Stop it right now!"_

_Noise. _

"_I said stop it!"_

_How she hated that noise. It was always so loud and annoying. Hearing that screeching in her ears angered her to no end._

"_I said stop it and I mean it!"_

_Especially this woman. So noisy. Always yelling at her, always telling her what to do._

"_STOP IT DORI!"_

_Dori looked up from her place by the window, her fingers continuing to turn the small knob on her music box to make the melody play. She regarded the woman before her with distaste, not at all interested in what the large lady had to say._

"_What is it, Auntie?"_

"_Stop playing that infernal music! It's the most unmelodious thing I've ever heard!"_

"_But Auntie, this is a present from Papa."_

"_I don't care. It's annoying."_

'_The only annoying thing here is you.' Dori thought heatedly. She ignored her aunts commands and continued to play the music. This was the music room after all._

"_You little brat!" her aunt yelled._

_For a moment, Dori wondered what the fat cow would do, but when the music box was ripped from her grasp she looked up, wide-eyed._

_Her aunt held the precious device high up in the air, her face twisted with anger._

"_No! Auntie, STOP!"_

_But her plea fell on deaf ears. Her aunt swung her hand down, the delicate item splintering at her feet._

_Dori could only stare in horror as her father's gift was slowly trampled in front of her._

_When the box was reduced to a few splinters of wood and glittering glass shards, her aunt stopped, panting slightly. She turned a murderous glare onto the frozen girl._

"_This ought to teach you to not to disobey me." She growled._

_Dori felt the tears welling in her eyes, and before she could stop them, they were flowing down her face as she knelt down and tried to salvage the precious treasure._

"_H-how could y-you! T-this was t-the last thing P-Papa g-gave to m-me b-before he l-left!" she wailed. Her aunt let out a harsh laugh._

"_So what? That man abandoned his family, and my adorable little sister killed herself because of that! He's just a piece of shit, and so are you!" she yelled, and with one swift kick, Dori fell to the floor, clutching her side in agony. Her tears continued to flow as she watched her aunt leave, slamming the door behind her with trembling force._

'_She's wrong! Papa is a kind man! Papa left to try and find help! He's going to come back! I know it!' she screamed in her mind._

_Yes. Her father would come back and then she wouldn't have to suffer anymore. And she would wait for him in the music room, because he had always gone to the music room.

* * *

_

"Dori-chan?"

She looked up from the small book she was reading to see Iruka standing in the doorway. She tilted her head in question to his presence. He gave a small smile, the tear tracks still visible on his face.

"The people from Rei-Senzai would like to talk to you." He said softly.

She blinked slowly and then nodded.

She would just deal with them.

After all, it's not like they knew anything after all.

* * *

Sasuke walked very, very slowly. His brow was slightly sweaty and he reached up to swipe his hand across it, looking at the small droplets in bewilderment.

"Heh. I still can't believe it." He muttered, a weak smile adorning his face.

So much had happened in the past few days. He looked up, watching as the hallways seemed to move towards him even though he knew he was the one moving.

Ever since this job had started, things had taken the most drastic changes.

He'd fallen for some guy the moment he laid eyes on him. He'd hooked up with said guy about a day or two later.

And then, he'd witnessed an incident which his normal logic could not explain. His first ghost encounter.

'_Well, not really the first. I know now that a spirit killed mom and dad._' He mentally amended.

And then, a girl had been killed, his beliefs had changed and now he was planning on possibly risking his life to help people he had no bonds with. He was mainly helping the one he had created some, seemingly, strong bonds.

"The best part is, even though we still haven't talked all that much, I already know he's going to have a cow when he hears I'm going to be in danger." He chuckled.

It was a very nervous chuckle.

While it was true he knew Naruto would have a cow at the news, Sasuke also knew he'd be facing a terrible wrath upon explaining that said blonde wouldn't even be there to help.

Forget ghosts. Naruto might just kill him and save them the trouble.

When he found himself outside the door to their shared room, he gulped slightly before gingerly grabbing the brass handle.

Before he could pull it down, however, the door swung open and he tumbled forwards along with it.

There were two yells of surprise and grunts of pain as two boys landed painfully on the floor.

Sasuke grit his teeth and looked up.

The sight that greeted him made him freeze before turning on his intense stare.

"The _fuck _are _you _doing here?" he hissed.

Sai blinked down at him before smiling wide.

"The answer to that is within the question." He sang.

It took a matter of one minute for Sasuke's most calculating mind to come to several conclusions.

1. The answer is in the question.

2. The question involved the word 'fuck'.

3. Sai was a creepy pervert according to Naruto.

4. Sai was in Naruto's room...alone with Naruto.

...

5. Sasuke was going to rip Sai into tiny shreds and flush them down the toilet while laughing manically.

"Sasuke?"

6. Oh, and he was going to tie the blonde up, kidnap him and run off into the stormy night screaming 'you shall be my bride!' and then laughing evilly again.

"Oi, what's going on here? Why are you guys on the ground? And why are you straddling Sai's hips, teme?"

Blink.

Blink again.

Glance down.

Cry of disgust.

"Aaagh! Oh god, get away from me!" Sasuke yelled, pushing away and scrambling across the floor until he was on the other side of the room. Sai pulled himself to his feet and casually dusted his pants.

When he looked up he offered another Barbie-smile. **(2)** "Well, I'll be going now. Thank you for your time, Naruto-kun." He said, sending a smug smirk in Sasuke's direction.

...

Sai managed to get out of the door and slam it closed a _second _before Sasuke was against it, ready to rip it off its hinges in his attempt to kill the pale boy.

"That fucker! I'm going to rip him to shreds!" he growled. He was all set to carry out his plan until he felt a hand on his shoulder. He glared over his shoulder at the blonde who met the glare easily.

"Who shit in your coffee?" Naruto asked, crossing his arms. Sasuke scoffed.

"Sai. The asshole had the nerve to suggest that the two of you were fucking before I came." He said the last part while carefully studying Naruto.

...

...

Blink.

Blink again.

Deep breath.

"That fucker! I'm going to rip him to shreds!" the blonde yelled.

And that was a satisfied Sasuke.

However, before the two of them could continue on their mission to reduce a certain artist to a pile of shredded flesh, there was a light knock on the door. Sasuke pulled it open and it was by pure shock alone that he did not go into a killing frenzy.

Sai stood right outside the door, plastic smile still in place. "Sorry to interrupt what was undoubtedly a very intense plotting of my gruesome demise, but Iruka-sensei says that we have exactly three hours to grab our shit, give our blessings and do whatever needs to be done before we leave. That's all. See you later, Naruto-kun. I look forward to spending time with you in a hotel!"

Kakashi was barely up the stairs when a blur of pale skin and black clothes shot past. He only had a second to be confused before two familiar voices screamed "SAI YOU BASTARD!"

Sasuke slammed the door shut, growling like an animal.

Kiba would be proud of him.

"Great. Now I'm going to have to worry about you getting raped by that creep!" he grumbled, sinking down onto the bed. Naruto fisted his hands, before his eyes widened.

"Hey wait, what did he mean? Why am I going to a hotel anyway? And why aren't you coming but he is? What's going on?"

Sasuke would've commented about how adorable the blonde was when he was clueless, but the situation didn't call for it.

He had his life to fear for, after all.

"Uh...well, actually that's why I came up." He began, avoiding the blue eyes that he just knew were fixed on him.

This was not going to go well.

* * *

Itachi stood next to the empty chair, his index finger resting on the back rest lightly. His eyes were fixed on the small girl seated before him, her long black hair as limp as ever and her skin seemingly more pale than usual.

Finally, with a sigh, Itachi sat down in the empty chair. Resting his elbows on his knees, he linked his fingers together and rested his lips against them slightly.

"Do you have any idea what we want to ask you about, Dori-san?" he began.

Chi Dori returned his gaze without flinching in the slightest, impressing most people in the room.

"No." She answered. Her voice was soft, yet it carried throughout the room perfectly.

It didn't hurt that almost everyone present was holding their breath.

"It's about your family."

"What about them?"

"Where are they?"

"Gone. Dori's family went away long ago."

"Where did they go?"

"They didn't tell Dori."

"Oh? So they left the house?"

"Yes."

Itachi raised his head, an eyebrow following. "Come again?"

"I saw them leave. They walked out the front door." She repeated.

Itachi glanced over to Hidan, giving him a questioning look. The man growled and stepped forwards.

"Don't lie kid! I've looked it up and there were no records of the Chi family ever leaving that house behind!" he said harshly. The girl didn't flinch at all at his tone, but simply looked up at him.

"No. There wouldn't be. Dori's family left in secret." She said.

"Dori-chan, what do you mean?" Iruka asked from his spot on the couch. Dori looked over to him and gave a shrug.

"Just what Dori said. Auntie took everyone and left the house one night. She didn't tell anyone else and just left."

"But then why were you still here?" Kakashi asked.

At this Dori looked down at her lap, her hair falling over her eyes and hiding them in shadow.

"Because... Dori has to wait here." She whispered.

"Why?"

"...Papa will come back and Dori has to be here to greet him."

* * *

Another shoe came flying.

He dodged it, barely.

Then it was a pillow. He knocked it out of the way.

Then a book.

There was one of those in this room? Oh shit, it was one of his. '_That's the last time I buy hardcover copies!_'

"What the _hell _kind of solution is that!"

Sasuke turned and only just managed to move before yet another one of his books was thrown at his head. He was amazed at the blonde's aim, and made a mental not to keep all sharp objects away from the boy when in a heated temper.

"I didn't decide it! It's our job and that's how we're going to do it! We're saving you guys!"

"By putting yourselves at risk? That's fucked up!" Naruto yelled, clenching his fists. He thought that the crews 'great plan' to help them was about as great as Gai-sensei in a thong.

"Maybe it is, but what about this whole problem isn't fucked up?" Sasuke replied. '_Please no more books! Those things are fucking deadly!_'

"You can't just put your lives in danger so easily!"

"Actually, it's in our job description. So, we can."

"But why you? Why do you have to stay! Aren't you the sceptic bastard that stays with the victims?" Naruto demanded.

"This is different. All those other jobs were nothing. Just pranks or paranoid victims. This time it's the real deal, and my brother said that they need as many members as they can spare." Sasuke reasoned.

"I'm sure not having one person won't affect them that much! You can stay and let them handle it!" Naruto tried.

Sasuke's head snapped back at that and he scowled. "So you're saying that you're fine if all the others endanger themselves but not me? My _brother _is going to stay. _My _boss. _My _friends. Does the fact that they're in danger not matter at all? They're staying because they want to help you. They're risking their lives to protect yours and so am I!" he yelled, finishing his speech with a firm stomp.

Naruto shrunk back his eyes staring downwards. "...T-that's not how...I didn't..." he stopped, stepping back a bit and slumping down. He pulled his knees up to his chest and buried his face in his arms, his body trembling slightly.

At the sudden vulnerability shown, Sasuke calmed down and went over to him, sitting down and wrapping his arms around the boy. "I'm sorry I shouted. I know that you don't mean it like that, but it's the truth. I can't just run off to safety when my friends and family are endangering themselves to help others." He said softly, placing a gentle kiss on Naruto's head.

Naruto let out a shaky sigh, uncurling himself and leaning into Sasuke's arms. His eyes were closed, but Sasuke could see the thin line of tears resting in his lashes, waiting to be spilled.

"I'm sorry too. It's just...after what happened with M-Mizuru...I'm scared. Everything's so real now. Before there were always things that could explain it, like you said. But now...I just don't want that to happen to anyone else. Especially not you." He whispered and a few tears leaked out.

Sasuke then realized where most of the trembles were coming from. Naruto was terrified. He was hiding it, very well, but after hearing, no, _seeing_ that someone was killed by a _ghost_...Sasuke was surprised Naruto wasn't paralyzed with fear.

He rubbed the blonde's arms comfortingly, placing another peck to Naruto's head. Once again he was amazed by how his feelings had sprung up so suddenly. He knew that he was in love with the boy in his arms, and that alone both scared and thrilled him.

"Kiss me."

The small request sent a jolt through Sasuke's body and he leant down immediately, claiming the waiting mouth in a gentle, but passionate kiss. Taking the lower lip into his mouth and sucking it before lapping at the lips, begging for entrance, Sasuke let all his emotions pour into this kiss, hoping that Naruto would realize them.

Naruto wrapped his arms around Sasuke's neck, pulling him closer as the raven explored his mouth. Their tongues glided together, twirling and sucking and sending pleasant shivers through both of them.

Sasuke placed one hand on the boy's lower back, pulling him closer. The other hand came up to stroke the soft blond hair.

They remained this way, kissing tenderly while a few more tears slid down Naruto's face. When they broke apart Sasuke immediately moved to kiss away the droplets, using his thumb to wipe the trails left behind. When the blonde's face was clear of the salty substance, they lay down side by side, still embracing each other.

"You'll be alright." Naruto stated. He didn't want to make it a question. But questions could have more than one answer. He only wanted to hear one.

"Of course." Sasuke replied, giving his trademark smirk.

Naruto saw it and couldn't stop the light smile that graced his features. He would believe in Sasuke. He would believe that the Uchiha would be fine.

Sasuke began stroking the blonde's hair again, listening to the gentle sigh he receive and smiling.

He would be fine. He had someone to protect and someone waiting for him.

He would be just fine.

* * *

She clenched her fists and bit her lip, almost drawing blood. Although the door was only open a crack, she could see them clearly.

'_Why? Why him? Why not me?_'

She hated the blonde. She hated him with all her heart. Why could he do what she couldn't?

Why him?

'_That little faggot stole him from me!_'

Yes.

Sakura hated Naruto.

She hated him for being the one lying in Sasuke's arms when it should have been her.

'_Sasuke-kun._'

* * *

Ino was watching the scene before her, but her mind was elsewhere. She could see the small girl sitting in the chair and could hear her soft voice as she explained how her family left.

But, Ino wasn't focused on that. She was wondering where Sakura was.

The pinkette had been livid the entire day, especially after seeing that Uzumaki kid with Sasuke that morning. When they were in the kitchen, Ino had listened to Sakura mumble darkly about the boy.

Ino could understand the anger that the hottest guy they knew seemed to be gay. That would put a damper on anyone's sunshine.

However, after their first confrontation with the blonde by his bedroom, Ino had decided not to speak openly. She had gotten a shock at the sudden violence displayed by the kid and knew it wouldn't be pretty if she kept attacking him verbally.

So, she had decided to just settle with a few glares.

But Sakura was different. Ino knew full well that Sakura wasn't only crushing on Sasuke. The girl had been in love with him since middle school. And Ino knew that she wouldn't be afraid to get into a physical fight over her beloved, even if her opponent was one of those huge wrestlers.

Love does crazy things to people.

Ino let out an almost inaudible sigh, and crossed her arms over her knees.

Everything was so confusing now. Not only did they have to deal with love problems and hard work, but now there was a homicidal ghost or ghosts on the rampage.

Life really sucked.

* * *

"What do you mean? Where did your father go?" Kakashi probed. The small girl didn't look up, but her shoulders tensed.

"He left when Dori was only three. He was scared and wanted to get help." She insisted. At that point, Kakuzu stepped forwards.

" There were no records of your father in the family register." He said.

Dori looked up. "Auntie removed him!" she said.

"But why did he leave? Did he not like this house?" Kakashi asked. '_We might be getting somewhere now._'

"He loved this house. Especially the music room. Papa always went there. He wanted to find a safe place to keep us until the house was safe!"

"Why isn't this house safe?" '_Stupid question._'

The look the girl gave him almost made him laugh. "Because of the horrible ghosts."

"Ah, yes, of course. Sorry. But then, why do you say he will come back?"

"Because he promised Dori! Papa said he would come back to Dori! And Dori will wait!" she said defiantly.

"I see. Well, we might be able to help you. We're going to make this house safe, and then we will try to find your dad and tell him it's safe to come back home." Kakashi said.

There was a long silence before Dori let out a soft chuckle. "You're going to make Dori's home safe?"

"Yes."

"But you can't. It's _already _safe." She whispered darkly.

The room felt colder.

Itachi leaned forwards, his eyes narrowing. "It's not safe. Someone was killed this morning, Dori. How can you say it's safe?" he asked.

She giggled, the sound sending chills down everyone's spine. "Because this was not that girl's home."

"What do you mean, Dori-chan! This _was _Mizuru's home!" Iruka said, walking forwards. Dori's head snapped up and she glared at him.

"No it wasn't! And it isn't! This is Dori's home! Dori and Papa's home! You're all strangers and you're all trespassing! This is Dori's home!" she screamed and suddenly lunged towards the stunned caretaker.

Kakashi, Kakuzu, Hidan and Itachi all had to work together to hold the screaming girl. She had made a dash for Iruka, looking ready to bite him. Luckily Kakashi had caught her arm in time, but the small girl struggled and thrashed so violently he couldn't keep a firm grip on her at all.

"Ouch! The fucking brat bit me!" Hidan howled, stepping back and nursing a bite mark on his arm. Iruka and the other caretakers looked horrified at the small girl that was screeching and thrashing about in their arms.

"Hold her head to the side! Get her neck in the open!" Tsunade ordered, stepping forwards. She held a syringe in her hand. Shizune was behind her, a medi-kit opened already.

Itachi managed to hold the girls jaw and force her head to the side. Kakuzu swept her hair away, giving a clear view of the slim neck. Tsunade took skilful aim and plunged the sedative into the girls neck.

It took a total of one minute before the girl went limp, unconscious.

The others stepped away, breathing heavily. Kakashi rubbed his face.

"Well. I'm pretty sure that Dori-chan is connected to the ghosts." He finished lamely.

* * *

A light knock on the door disturbed Sasuke from his almost-asleep state of mind. Looking down he saw that Naruto was also on the verge of sleep. Both of them yawned and stretched out.

Another knock sounded.

"Come in!" Naruto called through a yawn. The door opened to reveal a head of black-to-blonde hair.

"Ah, Junkyo. What's up?" Naruto asked. The boy walked into the room, his moss-coloured eyes darting around as if expecting something to jump out at him at any moment.

"Iruka-sensei wanted me to remind everyone that we will be leaving in an hour's time. You had better pack up your clothes, Naruto-nii. Also, Iruka-sensei said we can't bring any personal items either for some reason. Only clothes." The small boy said. Sasuke was surprised to find the boy's voice was rather deep. Not as deep as his, but still deeper than one would expect for a boy his age.

Naruto nodded. "A-ah. Thanks." He said.

Junkyo nodded once before turning and starting to walk out. Before he could leave, however, Naruto called out again. "How's Kao?"

The boy stopped and looked over his shoulder. "He's no longer in a state of shock. But he refuses to talk to anyone. Even Kamurou can't get him to speak. He's really upset over what happened. Especially since Sora is one of his best friends. I think he feels like he let him down somehow." And with that he left quickly.

Naruto sighed, running a hand through his head. "This is so fucked up." He muttered. Sasuke stifled a yawn and slung an arm loosely around his shoulders.

"Yes...Yes it is." He said matter-of-factly. Naruto snorted before getting to his feet, looking around.

"I guess...I had better grab my shit, huh?" he asked softly. Sasuke nodded.

"Don't worry. You'll be back here before you know it, and when you do get back, I'll be here waiting to ravish you." He said with a grin. Naruto returned along with a slight blush on his cheeks.

Together they grabbed his clothes shoved them carelessly into a bag.

"Hey, I think the hotel you're going to is close by the hospital. You can go and visit Kiba." Sasuke suggested. Naruto nodded eagerly.

"I'll tell him you say hi." He added. Sasuke smirked.

"Tell him Neji knows." He said. Naruto tilted his head in question.

"Knows what?"

"Nothing. You only need to say that and he'll react." Sasuke said slyly. Naruto frowned, but then shrugged it off.

They headed down the stairs together and arrived near the front of the mansion.

Iruka stood with the other children and caretakers, calling out instructions while Jiraiya and Asuma drove two large Fords towards them.

Sasuke saw Sai standing off to the side, the pale boy's eyes roving slowly through the crowd. When he spotted Sasuke and Naruto, Sai gave another smirk and waggled his fingers at Sasuke who growled and wrapped a protective arm around the blonde.

"Sasuke?"

"If that pale asswipe comes near you while I'm not there, make sure to kick him in the testicles." He ordered. Naruto nodded seriously.

"Got it."

"Good."

"Who's demise are you plotting now, little brother?"

The two turned as Itachi walked forwards, hands in his pockets. He eyed the arm around Naruto's waist and hid a smile.

"Itachi-san, how long do you think we'll have to stay away?" Naruto asked. Itachi tilted his head up in thought.

"Well, if there are no complications, we should locate the source and destroy it by tomorrow at noon. We'll be using tonight to prepare for any obstacles that could arise, and then tomorrow spent searching each room for any strange items that may be playing a key part in all the ghostly activity. So my guess is the day after tomorrow or the day after that if things are really complicated." He finished.

Naruto looked down at the ground. "How will we know if something's happened to you?"

Itachi smiled at the obvious concern. "Someone from our crew, no matter who it is, will call at exactly 7:00 pm every evening that you're away. Even tonight." He assured.

Naruto nodded, still facing the ground. Sasuke looked up at his brother. Itachi nodded and moved over to Iruka to discuss the finer details.

Sasuke turned to face the blonde, pulling him into a real hug. "Hey, don't go all emo on me. That's my job." He said with a laugh. Naruto snorted into his chest, his arms wrapping around Sasuke's torso tightly.

"Don't be reckless." Naruto ordered, his voice lightly muffled by Sasuke's jacket. The raven scoffed loudly.

"Shouldn't I be saying that to you?" he said. Naruto sniggered at that and finally looked up.

Nervous blue met confident onyx, and both boys moved simultaneously into a kiss. It was not a goodbye kiss at all, but simply a 'Don't-make-me-wait-bastard' type of kiss.

However their momentary bliss was shattered when Iruka called out for the kids to get in the van. They broke apart and Sasuke quickly wiped away the beginnings of a tear in Naruto's eye.

"See you later, dobe." He smiled. Naruto nodded.

"Later, teme."

With a final peck on the lips, Naruto reached down for his bag and headed for one car, climbing in after Gaara.

Sasuke watched as the large Fords slowly drove away, Naruto's face visible as it was almost pressed against the back window. He waved and Sasuke returned it until both the blonde and the car were out of sight.

His hand fell limply to his side and he took a deep breath before heading over to his brother. Itachi placed a gentle hand in his shoulder when he was close. "Don't worry, Sasuke. We'll get rid of this problem in no time and you'll be with him soon enough."

Sasuke nodded, determined.

With the rest of the crew, he walked back towards the front door. Everyone was radiating with determination.

They had a job to do.

* * *

**(1) - In other words, it was all in teh newspapers, which is why it sounded like a report of some kind.**

**(2) - Barbie-smile...the very picture of 'fake'.**

**Yo! So, hope you enjoyed this chapter! Ah, what shall happen next? Well, you'll have to review and wait to find out! AHAHAHAHAHA!*plays evil theme music* See you all next time on REI-SENZAI INC.!**

**Ja ne~!  
**


	9. The Search Begins

**Okay then, here's the next chapter!**

**Oh and I'm dedicating this chapter to SilverxStarlight for giving me such awesome reviews and motivating me to update faster!**

**Warnings and Disclaimers: The same as always. Swearing, Yaoi, so forht. When I own Naruto, pigs will sing opera and my deceased pet rat will return to claim my soul.  
**

**So here we go!

* * *

**

**The Search Begins**

Sasuke looked around the room, taking in everything that was happening from his spot next to the large wooden table.

"Oi, Kakuzu, the fuck are these little things for?" Hidan asked, staring at the small wooden idols on the table.

"They're special protection charms you idiot." Kakuzu said, not even bothering to look up as he worked on making a few boxes.

"Fuck you! And what guarantee do we have that this shit works?"

"Both Lee and Neji are knowledgeable and well trained with these things. We can trust them." Kakuzu assured, measuring a thin piece of wood.

"They're fucking brats! They probably just got out of fucking diapers and we're putting our lives into their hands? Fucking bullshit!" Hidan said spat, slamming his hand on the table.

Kakuzu glanced up at him. "Hidan, please pass me the duct tape over there."

"Huh? Oh yeah, whatever..But seriously! The fuck is Kakashi thinking by-Mph!" Hidan was promptly cut off when Kakuzu slapped a large piece of duct tape-the same one Hidan had just fetched- over his mouth.

The room erupted into fits of laughter as Hidan flailed around, trying unsuccessfully to rip the offending item off his face. Kakuzu watched his partner struggle with a sadistic smile on his face.

"Wow, it's so quiet now." Kakashi noted as he walked into the room. When he caught sight of Hidan he quickly turned around, trying to still the outburst of laughter.

Sasuke smirked and gave Kakuzu a high five under the table.

"Alright, alright enough joking around." Kakashi said after regaining his composure. He still avoided looking at the other silver head, and there was evidence of a smile by the crinkling of his visible eye.

He walked over to the table, taking in the small dolls that were littered across it before turning to face the rest of them.

Which meant facing practically the whole crew from Rei-Senzai.

Everyone had chosen to stay and do their field work. Even Sasori, Deidara and Kisame had left the comfort of the office to come and aid them.

"So, Kakashi, what's the plan, un?" Deidara asked from his place beside Sasori. Kakashi looked over at the blonde, distantly noting that he had blue eyes a few shades lower than Naruto's. _'Maybe that's why Sasuke keeps glancing at him and looking split between forlorn and fond._' He mused mentally.

He was brought out of his thoughts when Deidara snapped his fingers in his face. "Oi, Kakashi! You still with us, un?" he called. Kakashi waved him down.

"Yeah, yeah. So anyway, for now the plan is to split into teams of two or three and then scour every inch of this place. Look for anything suspicious, even if it's only vaguely suspicious. If you find something like that, bring it back down with you. This room is going to be home base since it's in the dead centre of the house and we've set up barrier spells and stuff around it.

Once we've explored every single room, and do it thoroughly people, we'll regroup here and go through the items, checking them and seeing if they're at all related to the summoning spell that is being used." He said. Sasori raised his hand and Kakashi nodded. "Yes?"

"Why are we going through the trouble of finding things that are related to the summoning spell? Also, if the summoner was one of the orphans or caretakers, is it really okay to have let them go without one of us to watch them? What if the culprit attacks them at the hotel?" the small red head pointed out.

"That's impossible." Neji said, casually running a hand through his hair. Sasori turned to him, questioning eyebrow raised. Neji sighed and continued as though this was obvious news.

"In order for the culprit to summon a spirit, or bend the spirit to his/her will, they need to be at the alter where the spell was cast. They cannot perform it just anywhere. And I'm pretty sure someone in the orphanage would notice their friend killing a baby and using its blood for something like that."

Sasori nodded at the end of the explanation and faced forward, indicating he was finished with questions.

"Any more questions? If not then we'll start the search. The sooner we get this done the better." Kakashi said. There was silence until a loud screech filled the air.

Everyone crouched and ducked, looking around frantically for a ghost or monster. Instead they saw Hidan standing by the table, his mouth red after having finally ripped the duct tape off. He let out a rainbow of curses, rubbing his mouth vigourously.

"Okay, first off: Kakuzu, I'm going to fucking _kill _you, you asshole. Second off: You're all a bunch of fucking pricks and fuck you all with a long, thick cactus. Third: If the summoner what's-it thing can't summon ghosts to attack us, why the fuck do we need protection and shit?" he finished. Kakashi sighed.

"Because, in the case of the ghosts of this house, they are likely to attack us whether they're ordered to do so or not. They died violent deaths, so they are violent ghosts. So we aren't safe. Hence the protection." He said slowly. Hidan sneered and crossed his arms.

"Or maybe this is cursed ground, and Lord Jashin is punishing those who trespass." He said. There were collective sighs of exasperation. Kakuzu had his face in his hands, completely beyond frustration.

"For the last. Fucking. Time. Lord Jashin doesn't exist." He said through his fingers.

"_BLASPHEMY_! You take that back you _fucker_!" Hidan screeched angrily, grabbing the older man's collar and shaking him roughly. Kakuzu simply stared back impassively, knocking the offending limb off easily.

"No."

"Take it back!"

"No."

"Asshole!"

"Idiot."

"Fucking scar face!"

"Moron."

"Egotistical, narrow-minded dipshit!"

"Okay, we've established _you_. Now what am I?"

Before things could get bloody, there was a loud crash from upstairs, making everyone jump. Every pair of eyes went to the ceiling, watching as the light fixture swayed slightly from the force of whatever had fallen or moved.

"What's the time?" Kakashi asked quietly. Shikamaru looked at his watch and sighed.

"Eight twenty-five. Things are starting early." He said drily.

"Kakashi." Itachi called, and the older man nodded.

"Yeah. Okay, I'm going to put you in groups. No complaints about who you get, understand? You all work _together_, you _help_ each other out and _you_ _don't let anyone die_." He finished. There were several nods as everyone stood to grab a protection charm. They had already run through basic repelling chants and banishing chants, courtesy of Lee and Neji.

Hopefully they wouldn't need them.

Kakashi waited until everyone was sticking their charms somewhere secure on their bodies before turning to them. "Remember, these charms ward of small spirits and can help you hide or escape from the more powerful ones. They do not make you invincible, they just give you a slight advantage." He reminded.

More nodding. A sigh of 'troublesome'.

"Okay. The groups are as follows.

Group 1: Itachi and Kisame.

Group 2: Sasori and Deidara.

Group 3: Shino and Hinata.

Group 4: Shikamaru, Ino and Chouji.

Group 5: Neji, Lee and Tenten.

Group 6: Sasuke, Sakura and myself."

Sasuke groaned to himself. He was glad to be with Kakashi, but pissed to be with the Haruno girl. He looked sideways and saw her staring at him, an almost predatory gleam in her eye. '_Fantastic. Fucking A-plus._' He thought sarcastically.

"Group 1 and 2, search the outside area. Bushes, pool, playground, everything. We've all got radio's, so if you find something big, let us know. Group 3, start with the first floor. Group 4 search the second floor. Group 5, you have the third floor. Keep your radios on at all times, because that's a tough floor." Kakashi warned.

Itachi was staring at Kakashi, his face unreadable. "And where will Sasuke be going?" he asked, a bite to his tone. Kakashi looked over to him.

"He's going to be helping me and Sakura search the basement for the time being before moving up to the second floor since it has the most rooms." He replied evenly. Itachi looked like he was going to argue, but Kisame quickly placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping any outbursts.

Itachi looked down, slightly defeated. Kakashi gave a nod to everyone and the teams started to depart slowly. When only group 6 and 1 were left, Itachi looked up.

"Kakashi." He called from the doorway. Kakashi turned to him, waiting patiently for the lecture to come.

But instead Itachi gave him a slight glare and a smirk. "Take care of my little brother, or else I'll kill you." He ordered, and with a smile to Sasuke and a nod to Sakura, the older Uchiha left, his blue haired friend in tow.

Kakashi smiled beneath his mask and glanced down at Sasuke. '_Don't worry, Itachi. I don't plan on letting anything happen to him. I already promised Obito the same thing._'

"Yosh, let's get going. The basement entrance is located outside, so we need to move out near the pool area to get there. Come on." He said and started for the door. Sakura nodded and followed. Sasuke took a last glance, checking for any forgotten objects before he stepped out of the room and followed his boss.

* * *

"Are you here to see Inuzuka-kun?"

"Yes m'am."

"Okay then, right this way. We were asked to allow visitors at odd hours, although, I'm not sure why they agreed. He must be very lucky and rich."

"Yes m'am."

"Alright then, Uzumaki-kun. Here he is. If there's anything you need, feel free to call me."

"Thank you."

The nurse smiled and continued down the corridor. Naruto watched her round the corner before taking a deep breath and stepping inside with a huge grin plastered on his face. "Yo Kiba!"

"FINALLY!"

Naruto almost fell over at the loud shout. As it was, he stumbled in surprise, tripping over his own foot and colliding with the side of the bed. With a slight whine of discomfort he looked up to glare at the grinning brunette. "What the hell was that?"

"Well, fuck you guys took, like, _forever _to come and visit me! Do you have any idea how _bored _I was?" Kiba demanded, jabbing a finger against Naruto's forehead in aggravation. Naruto scowled at the action but smirked at the information.

"Guess you're lucky I have orders to visit your sorry ass then, eh?" he taunted. Kiba growled and jabbed his forehead again.

"Whatever fox boy. Now where the hell is that emo, duck-butt haired moron who I call my best friend?" Kiba said, looking at the door as if Sasuke would walk through any minute and smirk at his god-awful hospital gown.

When he didn't see the raven, but only heard a slightly depressed sigh from the blonde at his feet, Kiba's eyebrows furrowed together. "Okay, what's with the sense of impending doom? Have I missed the apocalypse or something?"

Naruto smiled at the comment, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. It had been two hours since he'd left the mansion with the others. He looked up at the clock on the wall nearby.

8:05 pm.

He wondered what was happening with Sasuke and the others. '_I hope they're all right. I hope he's alright._' He offered a quick prayer to whichever higher power would take pity on his poor soul and answer it.

"Don't ignore me dammit!"

Naruto let out a sharp yelp when a fist made solid contact with the top of his head, forcing his chin down onto the mattress and keeping him there. He glared up at the brunette.

"What the fuck Kiba!" he growled. Kiba returned the gesture and didn't remove his fist.

"What's going on? Why are you all emo now? What happened over there while I've been stuck here?" he demanded, an edge of distress to his rough voice. Naruto blinked, realizing that Kiba was edgy because he was so out of the loop. He sighed and relaxed, no longer fighting the fist keeping him pinned.

"Something really bad happened...this morning." He muttered, avoiding the boy's eyes.

Kiba's fist withdrew and he looked at the blonde intently, signalling him to elaborate.

"S-someone...no, not someone...Mizuru...was...killed." Naruto whispered, staring at the bed.

There was a shocked silence that seemed to pierce through his skin and chill his core. He hated this feeling. He had hoped he wouldn't have to feel it. Not again in the same day.

"Holy shit." Kiba breathed, running a hand nervously through his hair. He glanced at the docile blonde. "I'm really sorry." He muttered.

Naruto shook his head. "It's not your fault. None of us were expecting it. Kao...Kao had to bear through the most. He was the last one to see her alive. He was right outside the door, trying to open it while she was getting killed by some ghost. It was so horrible."

They sank into a very heavy silence. Kiba was staring at his hands on his lap, looking deep in thought. Naruto absently picked at the cotton of the blanket, pulling at the tiny fibres.

"So, what did Kakashi do? Where is the crew?" Kiba asked slowly.

"The entire crew stayed behind at the mansion while we, as in the orphans and caretakers, left to go stay in a hotel. It's not too far from here." Naruto waved his hand around distractedly. Kiba sat upright, his eyes wide.

"You mean the crew is alone in that house?" he demanded. Naruto looked at him, not liking the slight panic in the boy's voice.

"Yes."

"Shit."

"What is it?"

"How do they plan on fighting the things?"

"Uh..I think Lee and Neji taught them banishing things? And they have little protection charms too."

"That's not enough."

Naruto stared at him. "What?"

"It's not enough. They won't get far with just a few banishing spells or protection charms." Kiba said, already reaching over to a drawer and searching for something.

"What do you mean? Why not!" Naruto half yelled. '_Sasuke...please be alright!_'

"Those spirits...there's something odd about them. They're not just violent poltergeists. They've gone further than that. The thing that attacked me. It wasn't just a spirit. It had a corporeal body, even if only momentarily." Kiba explained and let out a triumphant grunt when he pulled a cell phone from the drawer. He flipped it open and started dialing.

Naruto was clenching his fists. "So then how do you fight them?" he asked.

"Bansihing spells won't banish them, it will only slow them down, disorientate them or something. The only way to get them to disappear would be to physically attack them with something that has spiritual purification qualities." He glanced at the blonde, seeing the blank look and sighed. "Swing a stick with a cross carved into it to make them go 'poof' for a while." he repeated slowly.

Naruto nodded in understanding at the dumbed down version. "So what now?" he asked.

Kiba put the phone to his ear and grinned. "We take action." He said.

Naruto wasn't sure what he meant but kept silent when they heard a stern female voice on the other end. "What do you want?"

"Hey Hana! How's my _awesome _big sister doing?" Kiba called cheerily. There was a snort.

"I repeat. What do you want, Kiba?" Kiba grinned cheekily and it was clear in his voice.

"A favour."

"No shit. What is it?"

"Well..." Kiba looked over to Naruto and winked, "Just wondering if you could deliver some stuff for me."

"Kiba...Never mind. I'm not going to ask. But, since I'm the awesome big sister you said I was, I guess I can drive over. What do you need?"

"You're the best. Okay, we'll need..."

* * *

The sun had set completely already. Dark shadows were found everywhere, and sometimes it was difficult to find a light switch.

"Ouch! That was my foot you idiot!"

"Oops! Sorry!"

"Troublesome."

Shikamaru lazily flipped the switch once he located it and stepped into the room. It was another empty bedroom and he sighed. There were only a few boxes scattered around the area, but they had to check them all. "Come on, let's start looking." He said and trudged over to the nearest box. Chouji followed after, heading for another one. Ino hung back, staring at the dusty boxes in disgust.

"I'm not sticking my hands into one of those! Who knows what kinds of germs there are!" she said indignantly. Shikamaru gave a sigh.

"And who knows how many germs are spread when people swap spit. Yet you don't seem to mind. So shut up and start looking." He said, not even sparing a glance at her.

Ino gave an angry sniff and stomped over to the nearest box. She opened it carefully, examining the contents with distaste. "It's just a bunch of books." She stated. She was about to close it when Shikamaru spoke up again, annoyance in his tone.

"So then look through them. Read the titles, skim the pages and make sure they don't have any suspicious content, like dark magic or instructions on spirit summoning."

"But they're all moldy!" She whined.

Shikamaru actually used enough energy to glare at her. "If that's your attitude then why the fuck are you even still here?" he snapped.

The other two were surprised by the anger in his tone and Ino stuttered a bit. "W-well, because...t-they need all the h-help they can get..." she started weakly.

"Then help and stop complaining."

"But they never said I had to touch such disgusting things!"

"You're in a business that deals with the dead."

"So, I'm just an R.A! I'm not supposed to do this sort of stuff!"

"Then why did you stay even though Kakashi explained that we had to do stuff like this?" Chouji asked. Ino looked away, a slight blush on her cheeks.

"B-because...Sasuke-kun-"

Shikamaru stood up and stalked over to her, all patience lost. He straightened up from his usual slouch, revealing that was actually rather tall for his age and glared down at the girl.

"Okay, I'm actually really sick and tired of this _bullshit_. When will you airheads get it? Sasuke is not interested in you and never will be. He's gay. As in he likes _boys_, not girls. Dicks and not vaginas. I can't make it any clearer! So you and that Haruno girl should stop trying to get his attention. And do you really think Sasuke would be impressed by someone who refuses to touch a fucking _book _because it has a little bit of grime on it? Get your head out of your ass and _do your fucking job_."

With that, the normally lazy boy went back to his box and began searching, not even offering another glare at the now stunned girl. Chouji was searching through his box already, knowing that he did not want to be a part of that fight.

Ino stared at the once lazy boy in shock, her mouth gaping slightly. When no other word of encouragement or scolding was sent her way, she turned back to the books and gingerly reached inside, pulling out the first copy and checking the title. '_He's right. I need to stop daydreaming. Sasuke-kun will never like me like that. He probably won't even like Sakura that way. I just have to accept that._' She thought sadly.

She glanced over at the others. "S-shikamaru?"

"What?"

"I...I'm...sorry." she muttered. Shikamaru paused and looked at her from the corner of his eyes. Then he sighed and continued.

"Troublesome girl."

* * *

"Itachi, below you!"

The older raven looked down just in time and sidestepped the deep hole that was in his way. He turned back to his partner and nodded. "Thanks for the warning."

"No problem. Wouldn't do for you to sprain your ankle now would it?" Kisame said, stepping beside him and shining his light down onto the hole. It looked a bit like b rabbits hole, except they could see where it ended. "Wonder how this got here?"

"Very possibly the children playing. The soil is soft around this area, therefore they can dig quite easily." Itachi noted, digging the toe of his shoe into the soft ground in demonstration. Kisame nodded, and let his light slowly travel around the surrounding bushes.

"Do you think there's something out here?" he asked slowly, letting his eyes linger on a small group of stones before moving on. Itachi sighed, his own light examining the trees.

"I'm not sure. My gut's telling me no, but I can't be too sure." He said. Kisame watched the raven through the corner of his eye and smiled when Itachi looked back at the house.

"Don't worry so much." He said.

Itachi turned to him and raised an eyebrow. "Worry about what?"

Kisame let him see the smile he wore. "Sasuke. He's with Kakashi. He'll be perfectly fine, so no worries." The blue haired man said. Then, in an almost loving manner, he reached forwards and flicked Itachi's forehead. "If you keep worrying, you'll get wrinkles."

Itachi stared at his friend with wide eyes, his hand coming up to rub the spot. Then he smirked.

"No way. I'm too hot to have wrinkles." He said seriously. Kisame burst out laughing, shaking his head and continuing to look around.

"You Uchiha's are something else."

"Of course we are."

* * *

It was dark, dirty and wet.

There were cobwebs in the corners, insects crawling everywhere and the stench of mold and moss and dead rats invaded their noses, leaving a horrid burning sensation.

"Well, this looks pleasant." Kakashi said in false cheer. Sasuke grimaced, placing a hand over his nose and mouth to dry and get some reprieve of the foul air.

"This place stinks." Sakura whined. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"No shit."

Sakura turned to him, that odd gleam in her eyes still apparent. "Sasuke-kun?"

"Hn?"

"Let's go on a date."

Kakashi swiftly turned and glared at the girl. "This is no time for that sort of thing, Haruno! We've got work to do." He scolded. She cringed at his tone and turned away. Sasuke just ignored her.

Kakashi sighed, looking at his two teammates carefully. '_This is going to be troublesome._'

"Sasuke, I want you to start searching from the shelf over there. Sakura you start over there by those barrels. I'll be heading forwards towards the back. If you see or find anything, shout." He ordered. They nodded and split up, keeping their lights high and bright.

Sasuke went over to the shelves in the corner and looked at the various glass jars that were placed upon it. Most of them held a solid colour liquid, such as green, pale yellow or even light red.

However, a few of the jars had...things...floating in them. Sasuke stared at one in particular, almost gagging at the fact that it looked like a human eyeball was within that milky white liquid. He shuddered, turning to view the long lines of jars that ran on for a while.

"What the fuck kind of person collected these?" he mumbled in disgust. He thought about calling Kakashi-oh _sure_, a bunch of jars with eyeballs inside wasn't suspicious at all(insert sarcasm here)- and made to reach for the radio in his pocket when he heard a noise.

It sounded like glass tinkling against glass.

Sasuke spun around, lifting up his light and forming the seal Lee had shown him to banish spirits temporarily. However, it wasn't necessary when his light shone upon an all too familiar head of pink hair.

Sasuke groaned in annoyance and rose from his semi crouch. "What is is Sakura?"

The girl bit her lip, looking at him carefully. She had her fists clenched at her sides, her light left where she should have been searching.

Sasuke waited for a few seconds, but lost patients when all she did was stare at him. "Well, what is it? We're kind of busy, so we don't have time to waste on you gazing into space." He snapped.

"Kiss me."

...Silence.

Sasuke just stared at the girl incredulously. Sakura started fidgeting, her eyes fixed on his lips.

After a moment of stunned silence, Sasuke regained his voice. "Huh?"

Well, _partially _regained his voice.

"I want you to kiss me, Sasuke-kun." Sakura repeated. Sasuke blinked. Then he again. Then...

He snorted.

"Okay, I'm not sure what medicines you're mixing, but that's funny, Sakura. _Real_ hilarious. Now, you've had your fun so get back to work." He said and turned to the shelves again.

"Sasuke-kun."

He spun around impatiently. "Look Haruno I'm not going to say it aga-" he was cut off when a pair of lips crashed onto his own.

It took only a millisecond for him to react, and when he did he shoved the girl away..._hard_. He made sure she saw him spit to the side before wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and glaring at her. "The fuck do you think you're doing, Haruno?" he hissed. She regained her composure and reached out to him.

"I'm showing you how much you love me."

He couldn't help it this time. The absurdity of that statement was enough.

He laughed in her face.

"Me love you? You really are mixing medicines aren't you? Why the hell would you think I gave a shit about you?" he said, narrowing his eyes at her. She faltered a bit, but then returned full force.

"Because, it's not possible for you to love anyone else! I've loved you since we were young; I've always worked to look good for you, worked hard to be smart enough for you! I gave _everything_ up to be with you! You have to love me! You can't love anyone _but_ me!" she said, her voice getting louder and louder as she spoke.

But Sasuke had already turned away halfway through her rant, continuing his examination of the jars. There were definitely several suspicious ones besides the eyeball jar. He would have to carry an armful at a time. Maybe he could get Kakashi to help.

"Sasuke! Listen to me!"

"No." He said blankly, not even turning.

"Why won't you love me?"

He ignored her.

"Is it because of that pathetic blonde faggot? That Uzumaki fag?"

She was dead.

He was going to kill her, consequences be damned.

Turning around with the most ferocious glare he could summon, Sasuke towered over the pinkette menacingly.

"Now you listen to me, you bitch, and you better listen bloody well." He began, venom dripping from his tone. "I don't love you. I never have and I certainly never will. You're annoying, clingy, nosy, obsessive, and on top of that, a girl! I'm gay, I have been for a long time. I'll never be interested in women. Also, I love Naruto. I honestly do, and I intend to stay with him for as long as I can, forever if it's possible! And if you dare to call him that again, I'll rip your tongue out and feed it to Kiba's dog before killing you slowly." He spat, shoving a finger in her face before swiftly turning to the shelves again.

Sakura remained quiet for a long time, her mouth gaping and her eyes wide. Eventually, those sea foam green orbs began tearing up until there were two mini streams running down her cheeks and she began to back away.

Sasuke didn't pay any mind to the retreating sobs behind him, focusing solely on his job. _'The sooner I finish this, the sooner we can move on. And the closer we get to solving this thing. Then I can see Naruto again._' He thought, and doubled his efforts to search through the seemingly endless stock of jars.

* * *

Kakashi had heard and seen the entire exchange from his place near the far end of the basement. He sighed. '_Having Sakura wasn't the best idea, but at least now she's gotten the point. I hope so, anyway.'_

He turned back to the wall he was examining. There was a small patch that was discoloured, and looked as if it could slide out. Kakashi dipped his fingers near the edges of the odd spot and discovered tiny cracks. He dug his fingernails in carefully until he had some sort of grip before trying to dislodge the odd slab of stone. After a few minutes of trying, he managed to get it to move a couple of inches. A light, almost inaudible whistling sound became apparent.

From his place near the shelves, Sasuke looked up upon hearing the faint whistle. "What's that noise?" he asked. Kakashi examined the small opening in the wall where the slab had been moved.

"Compressed air being released. The space is so small that the air comes out with a faint whistling sound. No need to be alarmed just yet." He called back and Sasuke resumed his searching.

Kakashi focused on getting the slab away from the wall so he could see what was behind. As he leant closer to the small opening he'd made, he noticed the air flowing out was absolutely putrid. "This can't be good." He muttered to himself.

He gripped the corners of the slab of stone and heaved. After a few hard tugs, the slab was moved aside, giving him a full view of the fairly large carven hidden behind. The air was foul and the stench began to fill the basement. Kakashi leant down and peered through the hole that a small person could fit through with some work.

His eyes widened. "Well, fuck. Looks like I found the Yakushi family." He called out.

* * *

**Oooh! Discovery! Kakashi found the first family that lived there!**

**So, did ya'll enjoy it? Come on, let me know through reviews! Please!**

**And so, things are progressing. Also, a heads up. The rest of the chapters take place in one night until said otherwise. in other words, all the stuff happens that night!**

**Yes, yes it's fast. No time to build the suspense, you say? WRONG! Because, who knows, maybe quite a few of the next chapters will have CLIFFIES! MUAHAHAHAHAHA!...**

**...but seriously, review and let me know how you're liking it!  
**


	10. Spirit Sound Five

**Okay, I know that this chapter is like, pathetically short compared to the others, but I had to end it the way I did. No, not the story, just the chapter. The story is far from over. In fact I'm planning on writing a sequel when this one is finished! **

**So, don't worry, I won't let the other chapters be as sickeningly short as this one was! It's just, this had to be the way it is.**

**Hehehehe...I have a feeling(I hope) that this little addition will get your nerves and fuck-what-happens-next? sensors going haywire!**

**So, without futher ado I present...  
**

**

* * *

...Spirit Sound Five.**

"Can you guys hear that?"

Ino and Shikamaru looked up at Chouji's question, their ears perked intently. Indeed they could hear the faint whistling noise that seemed to be coming from the very walls around them. Shikamaru clicked his tongue in annoyance, reaching his hands up and forming the seal that Lee had taught them.

"Troublesome. Should've known it wouldn't be easy for us." He muttered. Ino's eyes darted around the room in fear, as if expecting a monster to appear from nowhere, which in a sense was most likely to happen.

"What seal is that?" she whispered. Shikamaru glanced at her before refocusing on his task.

"A barrier seal. It's going to keep out the ghost as long as I hold it like this. Well, as long as the ghost is relatively weak." He added with a shrug. Chouji watched his friend carefully, noting the sweat forming on the brunette's brow at an increasing rate.

"It's a strong one, isn't it?" he asked quietly. Shikamaru looked at him and smirked.

"I'm supposed to be the observant one, remember?" he joked. Then he grit his teeth as another strong wave of ghostly energy washed over him. He groaned. "I don't think this is going to keep it out much longer."

Ino squeaked in fear, her hands clutched before her chest in a prayer. Chouji stood up, turning to the door with a frown.

"Where's it coming from?" he asked. Shikamaru motioned the wall to the left with his head before grunting in discomfort.

"That way. Whichever spirit it is, it's not making this ea-_fuck_!" Shikamaru was sent flying across the room and into several boxes which crashed down around him loudly. Ino shrieked and ran over to him, helping him to his feet. All three turned to the wall where they could see a large figure gliding through.

A large ghost slid through the wall, the air around him seeming hazy and hot. Short tufts of orange hair were spread scarcely over his skull and his skin was dark and tanned all over his obese body. His burning eyes were directed at Shikamaru, who could only stare back from his corner.

"Oh shit." The brunette whispered.

* * *

"Neji, what can you see?"

"Something's coming this way."

Lee gulped and stood closer to Tenten, who was shivering slightly.

Hey, she was a _technical_ girl, she didn't _do_ ghost fighting.

Neji was in front of them, his eyes alert. The veins were visible next to them and seemed to throb with the concentration. His Byakugan took quite a lot of that.

The odd whistling sound that was emitting from the very air around them sent shivers down all of their spines.

"How far?" Lee asked.

Neji studied the spirit figure that was making its way towards them from the other hall.

"Fifteen meters...Ten...Nine...Eight...Seven..."

Tenten gasped as a figure appeared at the end of the hall they were in.

"Six...Five...Four..."

Lee grit his teeth, studying the ghost. It had six arms and jet black hair tied up in a high ponytail.

"Three...Two..."

Neji watched as the figure stopped in front of them, lips pulled back into a sneer.

"_One_." Neji finished softly.

* * *

"S-Shino-kun?"

"Yes. I can hear it." Shino replied. Hinata was standing right behind him, her hands clasped in front of her. Although she possessed the same seeing powers as her cousin Neji, she wasn't nearly as brave as him. The prospect of coming face to face with a ghost scared her greatly.

And what's more, neither Neji nor Kiba were there to take care of her this time. She knew that Shino wouldn't let her get hurt, but there was only so much the bespectacled boy could do.

He was a technician, not a ghost hunter.

"S-should we c-call for help?" she asked silently, reaching into her pocket for the small radio. However, as soon as she pulled it out, Shino grabbed her hand and shook his head.

"It's useless." He said.

She stared at him. "W-what do y-you mean?"

"They won't work." He replied simply and released her hand. She inspected the small machine and noticed that it indeed, wasn't functioning.

They had no way to talk to the others.

"W-why isn't it w-working? They w-were fine b-before!" she stammered fearfully. Shino looked up and studied their surroundings. They stood just outside the school room, about six doors away from the front entrance. They were on the opposite side of the back entrance, with two rooms between them and said entrance. They were also at the end of the hall.

In other words, they were cornered.

"They aren't working because of the strange music that is being played right now." He said calmly. He could tell that the whistling sound was interfering with their equipment.

How did he know?

He was just a good guesser.

"W-what should w-we do?" Hinata whispered fearfully. Shino was about to speak, but was cut off when a figure appeared four doors away from them. Hinata gasped, reaching out and clutching onto Shino's arm in terror. The two studied the ghosts, noting with a sick realization that it seemed to have another head growing behind its original.

"I think we should perform the seal you're cousin taught us and hope for the best." He said softly.

* * *

"Oi, look at that, un!"

"You're too loud."

Deidara pouted ever so slightly, but it was short lived as they turned their attention back to the ghost that had appeared before them. Sasori regarded the spirit coolly, his arms crossed. Deidara was barely containing his excitement.

"Aw, we got the girl ghost, un!" he whined when said spirit became clearer.

Indeed there before them was the spirit of a woman, her red hair protruding from the tight, woven hat she wore. She looked like a maid, with the addition of a few bloody slices across her chest and arms. In her hand she held a flute.

"Ugh, this is annoying." Sasori groaned, looking at the spirit in distaste. She turned her angry eyes to him and raised the flute to her lips. An eerie melody began playing and Deidara jumped when the bush near him seemed to move on its own, a branch lashing out at his foot.

"This is something new, un. It's not every day you find a ghost who can manipulate their surroundings this way." He speculated, watching in avid fascination as the bush kept lashing out at him.

Sasori grunted his agreement, easily kicking away the small stones that rolled towards him of their own accord. "But this situation could get tiresome after a while." He turned back to the spirit and grinned. "Let's not keep our spirit friend waiting."

Deidara smirked, reaching into the small satchel he had clipped to his waist and pulling out the small, clay cross. "As you wish, _Sasori-no-Danna_."

* * *

"Itachi."

"I know. I'm not blind."

Kisame snorted causing Itachi to glare at him. "I'm not!"

"Yeah sure. Whatever." Kisame said with a smirk. Itachi strengthened the glare, but turned his attention back to their immediate problem.

The ghost of a young man had appeared before them.

At least, he looked young. However his hair was white. But his face was small, smooth and slightly rounded. His eyebrows were shaved off and there was red make-up applied to his eyelids. Three dots were painted onto his forehead, right between his eyes.

He was staring at them, the faded grey robe he wore shimmering around the edges as he hovered above the soil. Itachi recognized him from the picture.

"Kimimaro." He said. The ghost turned to him slowly.

Kisame clenched his fists, staring at the ghost intently. Itachi could already tell that things were going to get difficult. If the ghost was this close to them, the protective charms weren't working.

The ghost boy suddenly raised its one arm, palm facing them. They two men watched in disgust as the skin broke on said palm, and a sharp ended bone began extending from the boy's hand. When it was about the same length as an arm, the growing stopped. The ghosts swung his hand back down, the bone-sword making a sharp whistling sound that seemed to echo on for ages. His eyes glared at the two men.

Kisame sighed. "Great. We got us a Calcium Kid to deal with."

* * *

Sasuke stared into the small hole, his face twisted in disgust.

Several corpses were seated in the cavern beyond it, bones visible between random stretches of decomposing skin. The stench was made his eyes water and he stepped back to gag at the sheer foulness of it all. He coughed a bit, shaking his head as if it would rid him of the images.

"That's just..._wrong_." he groaned. Kakashi sighed, agreeing with him whole heartedly. Sakura peeked down into the hole, her eyes narrowed slightly.

"There's only four bodies." She said.

Kakashi nodded. "Yes. So?"

"Well, there were five members of the Yakushi family." The pinkette said. Kakashi paused, peering into the hole before turning back to the girl.

"Who am I missing?"

"Well, there was the father, Orochimaru. Then the eldest son Kabuto. Then came the daughter Guren. After that were the two younger sons Kimimaro and Yuukimaru." Sakura said, counting the names off her fingers.

Kakashi realized that she was right and once again stared into the hole. After studying the barely-kept-together corpses and let out an aggravated sigh.

"Orochimaru's corpse isn't here." He stated.

Sasuke rubbed his face in frustration. "So then where is it?"

"No idea. But I'm guessing that he's the one who buried his kids in here." Kakashi said thoughtfully.

Sakura gaped. "B-but...by the looks of the corpses, they weren't dead for one hundred years!" she said.

Kakashi nodded. "Most likely they weren't. Chances are, he buried them alive, and they slowly starved to death."

Sakura placed a hand over her mouth, looking ill. Sasuke glared off into space at the sheer sickness of the whole idea. '_Psychopath. What the hell was wrong with this family?_'

Their thoughts were ripped away from them when a rustling sound was heard. The three spun around to stare at the entrance of the basement.

The sight that met them made their blood run cold.

A tall, pale man with long, greasy black hair and yellow-snake-like eyes was staring at them. The man smiled cruelly, a long, pale pink tongue coming from that mouth and sliding around like some skinless snake tail.

Kakashi stared wide eyed as the figure began shifting towards them ever so slowly. "Oh, this is _not _good."

* * *

**I know, so ridiculously short compared to the others, ne? But, but! It's got your nerves tingling, does it not?**

**Well, here is the semi-almost-not quite-intermission chapter that begins the next part of the action! Let me know just how wired you guys are through reviews! That way I'll get pumped to write the next one faster! WOOT!**

**Look forward to a few battle scenes in the next chapter or chapters! **

**P.S! It should be pretty obvious who each of the ghosts are, I even named one! But, just to get more reviews-:P- name all of the ghosts that have appeared! (including the one I named!)**

**See y'all next chapter!  
**


	11. Danger! Everyone's Fight

**YO! Ya'll can, once again, thank SilverXStarlight for giving me such awesome reviews that leave me feeling PUMPED and ready to WRITE LIKE HELL!**

**And so, here we are with yet another quick update. I worked until late at night/or morning to get this ready to update, so be awesome and leave reviews! Please? -holds out review cookies- I got cookies?**

**Here we are...it is called!-  
**

**

* * *

Danger! Everyone's Fight.**

This was bad.

This was _very _bad.

"K-Kakashi...!"

This was unbelievably, incomprehensibly..._Bad_.

"Sakura, Sasuke, get behind me and take out your charms!" Kakashi ordered. The two teens shot behind him, whipping out the small dolls and holding them up. Kakashi pulled his own out and placed it on the floor in front of him.

The air around them shimmered slightly, and the ghost ahead paused. Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief. At least the dolls were working.

The ghost's yellow eyes swept over the trio, passing over Sakura, lingering ever so slightly over kakashi, before coming to a stop on Sasuke. A wicked leer pulled at the face of that spirit, and the air seemed to grow even colder.

Sasuke could only stare at those yellow eyes, feeling a sense of dread and despair washing over him. He took a shuddering breath, cursing his own weakness. '_Shit! Shit! Get a hold of yourself!_' his mind screamed. But his body wasn't listening.

He was shaking, the wooden doll creaking ever so slightly in his terrified grip. He tried to steady himself, but he couldn't. The air seemed so thick that it was difficult to breathe.

He took another deep breath, trying to get clean air, but he couldn't.

As he looked at those yellow eyes again, flashes of his parent's deaths played through his mind like a movie. He froze up, his hands shaking uncontrollable now.

'_I have to get out! I have to get out! If I don't, I'll die!_' his mind shrieked. He agreed wholeheartedly.

He was on the verge of running, on the verge of dropping the doll and making a break for it, when a large hand covered both of his. A warmth spread through his fingers and his shaking ceased immediately as he looked up.

Kakashi had pulled his mask down, revealing a very gentle, very fatherly smile. "Don't be so nervous, Sasuke. I promise I won't let anything happen to you." He said softly, his eyes sincere.

All of the fear drained away at those words, and Sasuke nodded his head as new determination sprung up. He faced the spirit, no longer with fearful eyes, but rather, challenging.

'_I won't run away!_'

Kakashi pulled his mask back up, feeling very proud of both Sasuke and himself. He made a mental note to tell Itachi about Sasuke's new attitude before turning to face the ghost again.

"Let's see...it's Yakushi Orochimaru." He murmured. Sakura whimpered beside him and he sighed internally. It's not like he could comfort her the same way he did Sasuke. He didn't know the girl that well just yet.

But he had to try or else she's get in the way.

"Sakura. Don't worry. Everything will be just fine." He said and gave a wink. She seeme hesitant, but her breathing evened out a bit.

Well, it was better than nothing.

Kakashi studied the spirit, noting the way those fierce yellow eyes were fixated on Sasuke. He felt that overwhelming feeling of wanting to protect surge through his body. '_If he wants Sasuke, he's going to have to go through me first._'

With a speed that left the other two dazed, Kakashi began forming the multiple complicated seals that Lee had shown him so long ago. The ones to destroy a spirit, and not just banish it.

Hopefully it would work on this guy.

"_Katsu_!"

There was a loud bang and the spirit of Orochimaru erupted into flames. The tall figure writhed and thrashed, mouth open in a silent scream.

Kakashi kept his hands pressed together as if he was praying, forcing as much energy as he could into the spell. Sasuke watched intently from behind, his mind cheering his boss on.

However, their hopes were shattered when the flames disappeared suddenly, leaving Orochimaru standing there with a wicked leer plastered on his face as he observed them.

Kakashi's eyes widened as his hands dropped to his side. "Oh shit."

* * *

"Duck!"

"Shit! _Chouji_!"

"I'm okay!"

Shikamaru let out a breath before taking another one sharply. He jumped to the side, narrowly avoiding the large fist of the supposed-to-be-ghost. Honestly, what type of spirit had a physical form?

"Ino, are you alright?" he called, twisiting his head to the side. Ino didn't answer as she was plastered to the wall in fright. If she spoke, the ghost would notice that she was right behind him.

Shikamaru grit his teeth and dived out of the way again, avoiding the foot that had tried to stomp his skull into a pancake.

He moved to the side, but his foot caught on one of the scattered books that lay on the floor. With a sharp yelp of surprise, he dropped to the floor, landing painfully on his stomach. He was about to scramble to his feet when he felt a heavy weight on his back. Snapping his head around his eyes widened as he took in the ghost's form practically standing on him.

"Shit."

He tried to shift and throw the heavy figure off, but it was no use. In the next three seconds, the foot that was keeping him in place stomped down. There was a loud crack and Shikamaru cried out in agony as a rib broke. He coughed, blood spurting out. The foot raised itself and stomped again, earning another scream of pain. Ino was screaming now, absolutely hysterical.

Shikamaru felt another rib break and gasped in pain. He turned his head and watched as the foot raised itself again. The ghost wore a cruel smirk on his pudgy face. Shikamarus's vision swam slightly. '_What a troublesome way to die._'

"HEY!"

The loud shout caused the brunette's eyes to widen. He watched in shock as Chouji rammed against the ghost with his whole body. The spirit tumbled to the side, knocking several more boxes over as he went. Chouji immediately turned to Shikamaru, calling Ino over too. The blonde was by his side in an instant, and the two dragged Shikamaru away slightly.

"T-thanks...Chouji." Shikamaru wheezed. Chouji nodded, his face set in grim determination.

"Are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah...it's only two ribs. I can last for a while."

"Good. You and Ino stay here. I'll deal with the fat ghost." Chouji said, and without leaving room for argument he stood and turned to face the large ghost. Shikamaru stared in awe as his friend ran towards the ghost fearlessly, slamming his whole body into the giant ghoul with enough force to send the thing tumbling over again.

Ino's mouth was agape in surprise as she watched the chef of their group fighting the large ghost. '_Who knew Chouji could be so brave?_' she thought. A grunt of pain broke her thoughts and she looked down to see Shikamaru trying to sit straighter.

"Hey, don't move so much!" she hissed, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder to steady him. He scoffed.

"I hardly...think sitting up...counts as a lot of movement." He grunted out. He coughed again, some blood dribbling down the side of his mouth. He grimaced at the metallic taste, but couldn't comment since his attention was drawn to the other side of the room at the sound of a sharp yelp of pain.

Chouji gripped his arm, gritting his teeth as pain shot up his shoulder. He turned back to the obese monster that he was fighting. The damn thing had dislocated his shoulder and left his arm dangling rather uselessly.

"Damn. I can't just keep ramming him down. I need to put a stop to him." He murmured, but for the life of him he couldn't figure out what to do.

He sighed. '_This isn't my area of expertise. I'm a chef for crying out loud. Even Shikamaru doesn't know much about handling this sort of situation. He's a tech guy, not a hunter._' He thought.

The ghost rose to his feet again, glaring at Chouji darkly. The 'big-boned' chef heaved a sigh.

They were so screwed.

* * *

Tenten screeched, swatting at her arms frantically. The tiny spiders that were crawling all over her were knocked off and stunned, laying in partially curled balls on the floor around her. She hopped around, brushing them off.

Lee was right beside her, trying to help her get the little creatures off while at the same time keeping himself from getting over run with the tiny things.

Neji was up ahead, fighting with the ghost.

And he was actually, physically fighting. Lee could see the brunette's fists landing on the body of the supposed spirit, causing some sort of damage. '_What's going on here? These aren't normal ghosts._' He thought to himself.

Neji grunted as a fist collided with his side once again. He jumped back, panting slightly from all the fighting. He scowled. '_This is so far from fair. He's got six fucking arms!_'

Indeed, the not-so-much-a-spirit flexed, each arm rippling with strong muscles. A smirk adorned the ghost's face as he surveyed the panting brunette before him.

Neji grit his teeth and charged again. '_Like hell I'm giving up here!_' he thought and brought his leg up for a jumping kick. The ghost saw this and used four arms to catch the brunette's powerful kick. Neji smirked as his foot landed on the solid palms of his opponent. '_Gotcha!_'

Using the momentum from his jump, he spun around, bringing his other leg with him. It cut through the air before colliding harshly against the side of the ghost's head. Said opponent smashed straight into the wall while Neji landed easily, a smug smile plastered on his pale face.

"Well, it looks like I can at least get a few points out of this." He said. The ghost staggered back into his place, face pale and scrunched up with anger. It raised one arm, finger pointing skywards before slashing down through the air with a grin.

The whistling around them grew louder, and suddenly it was accompanied by what sounded like millions of small feet.

"Neji!"

Neji spun around, his pale eyes widening at the sight before him. Right behind Lee and Tenten were dozens of humongous spiders! They were the size of his head at least!

"This is bad!" he gasped.

* * *

"Nice one, Sasori-no-Danna! Un!"

Sasori smirked at the praise, and even stopped in his movement to turn to the blonde and bow theatrically. Deidara laughed, slapping his knee in amusement. "You're so cocky, Danna, it's a wonder you're still alive, un." He said.

"Not really. This ghost can't seem to do much more than play some pretty music to make the bushes move. It's not all that hard to dodge them." Sasori said nonchalantly, almost as if they were discussing the weather.

Deidara grinned. "You have a point, un." He took a quick step to the side, avoiding a random root that had burst from the ground and tried to wrap around his ankle. His smile could only widen as the root waved around blindly, almost as if it was confused as to where he'd gone. "But this is really fun, un!"

Sasori rolled his eyes. "Deidara, you're the only person I know who could say that fighting a ghost is _fun_."

Deidara jumped over to him and waved a finger right in his face. "No, no! That's not true, un!" he insisted.

Sasori looked at him. "Name another person." he challenged.

"Tobi!" Deidara declared triumphantly.

Sasori blinked. "All I've ever heard Tobi say is that he's a good boy."

Deidara shook his head firmly. "No way, un. I once heard him shouting about how fighting ghosts was fun, un."

"Well, Tob doesn't count since he's a total freak." Sasori argued. Deidara tilted his head.

"Why do you say that? Sure, he's not the brightest flame in the explosion **(1)** but he's still an okay guy. He once said he loved my sculptures, un!" the blonde finished brightly.

Sasori snorted. "And that's exactly _why_ he's a freak. Anyone who thinks your firework displays are a form of decent art is a freak. True art is beauty that lasts forever." Sasori finished seriously.

Deidara bristled and growled. "Shut up, un! My work is brilliant! True art is beauty that lights up bright for a moment before disappearing in a whirl of colour and sound! That is art, un!"

Sasori turned to face him completely, his face stern and set. "Deidara, what you call art is anything but. How can it be considered art when people have no time to appreciate it?" he demanded.

Deidara crossed his arms, glaring at the slightly shorter red haired man. "That's why it's so wonderful! When something is able to be viewed repeatedly, people will find the flaws in that piece after a time. But when they only have a few moments to view the masterpiece, they only take in the beauty of it and don't have time to seek out the small problems. Therefore, they appreciate it more, un!"

Sasori narrowed his eyes. "However, with that kind of art, for one to continue gaining satisfaction from viewing it, they would have to repeatedly light up a set of fireworks. That is a hassle and people will grow bored. With a masterpiece like mine, one can find a resting spot for it and view it at their leisure, or whenever they feel the need to see a piece of fine art!" he explained cooly.

The two continued to argue the subject, often making large gestures and raising their voices every now and then.

Neither of them paid any mind to the female ghost, who glared at them, raising the flute to her lips and starting up a different tune.

* * *

Itachi stood, his muscles tensing and relaxing as he waited. Kisame was a little to his left, also flexing his body slightly in anticipation.

Before them, the spirit of one Yakushi Kimimaro had yet to move. The white haired spirit simply stayed still, grey eyes washing over them with slight curiosity and contempt.

"Itachi...Should we go first?" Kisame asked quietly. Grey eyes shifted to him and he gulped.

"No. We wait for him to make the first move." Itachi whispered back. Kisame nodded minutely and returned full attention to the ghost.

Itachi studied the figure intently, noting the grey robe with a purple rope belt around the waste and the symbol for yin and yang, without the black, stamped on the bottom. He was glad that they hadn't begun fighting, but at the same time wanted the damn ghost to _move_ already. He wanted to see what kind of powers or techniques this spirit would use against them, so that he could come up with counter measures.

But it seemed like the ghost had the same idea, if the impatient gleam in those faded grey orbs was anything to go by.

Itachi sighed internally. '_It's going to be a long night._'

* * *

"Hinata."

The girl turned petrified eyes to her comrade. She was very scared, especially after seeing the ghost pick Shino u and toss him halfway down the hall with such ease.

The bespectacled boy had managed to land on his feet, slightly hunched but unharmed. Shino had, with surprising speed, rushed straight past the ghost and back to Hinata's side, shielding her from harm's way with his body.

"Y-yes?"

"Listen very carefully. I will distract this spirit, and you must run and try to find another team. Head up to the second floor, and see how Shikamaru's team is doing. If they can help, bring them back here." He said softly. She grabbed the back of his jacket and squeezed, shaking her head slightly.

"B-but what about y-you? Y-you can't d-defeat him! You s-said it yourself!" she whispered urgently. Shino turned to stare at her over his shoulder.

"And I do not intend to defeat him. Not alone, anyway. I shall simply keep his attention on me until you arrive with back-up." He said clearly, as if it was obvious.

Hinata was hesitant, but then slowly she nodded. She would just have to trust Shino to keep on his feet until she came back.

"Okay."

Shino nodded and turned his attention back to the spirit at hand. He had to admit that the guy was as ugly as fuck, with shoulder length grey hair and sickly green lips.

Shino held five fingers behind him and slowly started lowering them one at a time.

Hinata gulped and tensed, ready to run for all she was worth. '_I won't let you down, Shino-kun._'

Three.

Two.

One.

Shino shot forward, straight at the spirit who raised his arm expectantly. However, when he was only a few feet away, Shino turned and darted to the side, skimming past the wall and going around the spirit. Hinata did the same on the other side.

As soon as Hinata was passed, Shino darted back to his starting point, making sure the ghost didn't see Hinata running down the passage just yet.

He saw the raven haired girl turn the corner and sighed.

"Well, now all I can do is dodge any attacks. Perhaps I can find a weakness?" he muttered.

He braced himself, watching as the spirit smirked before slowly edging towards him. He thought he saw movement behind the spirit, but when the whistling sound got louder, blamed it on shimmering spirit waves.

"Be carefully, Hinata."

* * *

Gaara sat on the couch in the room he was sharing with his siblings and the Crimson Twins.

The hotel was rather high end, with large rooms that easily fit five people in at once if you didn't mind sharing the huge bed and couch.

Gaara had agreed to be on the floor, seeing as how he hardly slept anyways. Temari took the couch, saying she didn't want to share a bed with a bunch of boys.

When asked why she didn't room with the girls across the hall, she slapped them over the back of their heads and scoffed. "Someone needs to keep an eye on you clowns." She had said.

So, Kankuro, Kao, and Kamurou got to share the bed. (**AN:** Hey, they're all K's! Cool! XD)

"So where'd our favourite blonde moron run off to?" Kankuro asked as he slid his jacket off and dropped it onto the bed. Gaara shrugged.

"He said he was visiting a friend at the hospital."

"Oh, that Inuzuka kid, right?" Temari questioned from her seat on the other end of the couch. She was busy fanning herself with a small fan she had made herself, wearing a short night dress that barely covered her thighs. "Won't he get in trouble for the hotel without supervision?"

Gaara glanced to her, scowling at her attire. "I gave him the number to our room so he could call when he needs us to cover for him."

Just then, Kamurou walked out of the bathroom wearing nothing but a towel around his waist. Temari stopped her fanning for a moment to eye the boy up and down. "You been working out there, Squirt?" she grinned.

Kamurou rolled his eyes at the nickname. "Ha ha, very funny Temari. You're such a comedian." He said sarcastically, making his way over to the store room to grab another towel.

Temari grinned, but then her expression softened as she watched the red head pull out a towel, wash cloth and some bandages and cream. "Is he still not moving?"

Kamurou sighed and shook his head, turning to face them with a solemn expression.

"No. He won't say a word. I've tried everything but he's so closed off. It's like he's stuck in that moment. I think he blames himself." He finished quietly. Gaara looked at the door to the bathroom.

"Will Kao be okay?"

Kamurou gave a small smile. "Of course. He'll get back to his senses after a 's a really strong person. He's always acting so tough, but he's all soft and tender on the inside. It'll take some time but he'll be fine. For now though, I'm just going to shower him with affection, treats and some TLC!" he finished brightly.

Kankuro snorted. "The way you talk, you sound like his lover, not his brother."

Kamurou went bright red, sputtering indignantly. "W-what? That's _so_ wrong! H-he's my _brother_! Ew, I don't do incest! No, fuck that, I don't do _twincest_! That would be like me fucking myself! _Ew_!" he screeched, curling his arms to his chest in disgust.

Kankuro and Temari laughed loudly and Gaara smirked.

The phone rang.

They fell silent, staring at the device as it jingled three more times. Gaara snapped out of his trance and grabbed the receiver, raising it to his ear. "Hello?"

"Gaara?"

"Naruto?"

"Yeah! Sorry, were you guys asleep?"

"No. We weren't planning on sleeping anytime soon. What's up?"

"Well, we kind of need help in two ways."

"...We?" Gaara asked slowly. There was a fumbling sound before a new, equally obnoxious voice spoke up. "Yo! We need someone who can drive a truck! Know anyone that isn't likely to kick our asses for disobedience?"

Gaara raised an eyebrow. "Well, Temari can drive. But why do you need a driver?"

"Uh, to _drive_ us somewhere? Duh!" the voice snorted.

"Put Naruto back on the line before I strangle you through the phone."

There was more fumbling and Naruto's voice came back, sounding rather exasperated.

"Ignore Kiba's idiocy."

"I was planning to."

"So, do you think Temari could help us?"

"Let me check." Gaara looked up at his sister. "Temari, Naruto and Kiba need a driver."He said.

Temari blinked. "Why do they need a driver?" she asked.

"That's what I asked. They said to drive."

"..."

"..."

"...Well, uh, yeah I guess. But, where do they need to go and why?"

"Where do you need to go and why?" Gaara repeated.

"Who else is there?" Naruto asked.

Gaara looked up. "Me, Temari, Kankuro, and the twins who were about to do twincest." He said calmly.

Kamurou shrieked angrily at almost the exact moment Naruto shrieked in disgust.

"Ew! That's...That's like, fucking yourself! EW!"

Gaara smirked again. "Just lying. Back to the point."

"Ugh, yeah. Ew, uh...yeah, put the phone on speaker."

Gaara did so and placed it down. "It's on speaker. Now what's going on? Why do you need a driver to drive you to some unknown place?"

"Well...it's like this..."

* * *

Sasuke really wished those damn yellow eyes would look somewhere else.

They were seriously freaking him out now. Especially with the way that disgusting tongue was curling around those dead lips like that.

"Kakashi, he's staring at me." He said, almost childishly.

Kakashi nodded but didn't say anything. His mind was whirring on ways to get them out of there. '_Ugh, it's the first night and already we're neck deep in shit._' He thought.

He glanced at his watch.

10:05. pm.

Time flies when you're faced with a terrifying psycho ghost that has a weird tongue disease and a fetish for little boys.

Sasuke shifted ever so slightly, and those yellow eyes followed the movement obsessively. Sasuke growled. He was getting really annoyed now.

"Stop looking at me dammit!" he said out loud. '_Pointless, but it's getting creepy!_'

The ghost's smirk widened and those eyes seemed to glow brighter at the harsh tone.

The tongue curled again.

And Sasuke had had enough.

He took three steps forward, reaching into his pocket for the small charm he'd brought along beside the wooden doll charm.

With perfect aim, he threw it at the spirit.

Orochimaru blinked as the small, white object came flying towards him. When it passed straight through his head, he laughed soundlessly.

Sasuke blinked, feeling foolish that his charm hadn't worked. '_Damn Deidara! I thought that thing would explode upon contact!_'

Three seconds later, there was a tiny bang before Orochimaru was writhing around, clutching at his face. Sasuke felt the tiny droplets of holy water raining through the air from the tiny-now-exploded-capsule. He smirked.

"Sasuke! Get back here!" Kakashi called, his voice slightly panicked. Sasuke looked over his shoulder.

"But it worked! He's reacting! Come on, we can't just stand there and _stare _at him all night!" he insisted.

But Kakashi wasn't listening. His attention was focused on the figure right in front of Sasuke.

Orochimaru was finished writhing, and was staring down at Sasuke hungrily. A wide leer curled his lips before he opened his mouth wide, revealing a set of sharp fangs extending. His tongue curled back into is mouth before transforming into one similar to a snakes.

Sasuke was still staring at his boss, unaware of the monster before him. It was the look on Kakashi and Sakura's faces that made him turn around slowly, eyes wide.

"Shit."

Orochimaru dived, his head nothing but a blur as he moved. Sasuke had no time to dodge.

All he felt was a sharp, white hot pain in the spot where his neck met his shoulder. He screamed out in agony as his body was set aflame with pain. He writhed and twisted, but those fangs only sunk deeper into his neck, causing more pain to shoot through him. He heard Sakura screaming and Kakashi yelling, but the pain was too intense to make out what they were saying.

His vision blurred and he twitched with the feeling of something draining him.

The ghost's presence felt odd. It was almost like a cold breeze hovering in one place by his shoulder, and yet he could feel the solid fangs in his neck with each jerk of his body.

Then, with one final wave of draining energy, Orochimaru pulled away with an almost audible hiss. Sasuke let out a cry of pain, teetering back, his eyes wide and trembling. He felt warm blood seeping from the two puncture wounds and running down his back, chest and shoulder.

He gasped for air, before the feeling of his body falling backwards became apparent. It was slow motion to him. He felt his body fall, felt gravity pulling him down.

But the cold concrete of the basement never came. Instead he fell into a pair of warm, strong arms.

Through blurred eyes, he saw silver hair and a masked face. He took a shuddering breath. "Sorry...K-Kakashi."

"Sh! Don't talk. Save your strength okay." Kakashi ordered, trying to stop himself from breaking down.

Sasuke had gotten so pale and sickly looking from that one attack. He looked so fragile, Kakashi felt like he would snap in two in a moment.

"Sakura!" he called. The girl shot to him. "Take care of Sasuke. Keep that wound closed and keep him back. I'm ending this." He ordered.

Sakura nodded and knelt down, easing Sasuke into her arms carefully. She edged over to the wall and set the raven's head in her lap. Looking around, she grit her teeth in frustration.

Looking at her arm, she noticed her shirt sleeve was ripped slightly. She nodded and used her other hand to tug at the fabric until it tore away. She managed to get a long strip of material and bundled it up, dabbing at the blood before applying light pressure to the wound.

"Hang in there, Sasuke-kun!"

Sasuke was drifting. His body felt heavy and he was so tired now. Darkness crept at the edge of his already blurred vision, and he knew he would pass out soon.

Before he completely lost consciousness, the image of golden blonde hair, beautiful blue eyes and a bright smile filled his mind.

'_Oi, Sasuke-teme!'_

He gave an invisible smile as sleep slowly claimed him. '_Naruto._'

* * *

**(1)**–**I thought this expression suited Deidara perfectly! Lol!**

**Well, there you have it! Awesome? Suckish? Cooler than ice-cream?**

** The fighting continues in the next chapter, and a few will come to an end. However, questions are raised here!**

**Questions like: What happens to Hinata? Will Sasori and Deidara stop arguing? Will Itachi and Kisame fight? What are Naruto and Kiba planning? What did Orochimaru do to Sasuke and how will Kakashi 'end it'?**

**Find out in the next chapter of Rei-Senzai!**

**Please review! They really are helpful and inspiring!**


	12. Desperation to Determination

**WOOT! I'm on FIRE! I just keep writing out these chapters like mad! (hooray for having no life! XD)**

**Okay, THIS IS IMPORTANT! -clears throat- This chapter is very, very much Hinata-centred! DON'T LEAVE! Yes, it's mainly Hinata, but it's still a part of the story! And there is something you've been waiting for in this chapter...near the end.**

**Also, don't worry. I don't plan on writing a whole bunch of single-character-centred chapters. It's really on just this one, and the reason is because 1: I like Hinata and feel she's hardly in this story! 2: Her situation was the perfect way to introduce the part that you all were waiting for.**

**So, here we have the next chapter! It's longer(hooray) than the last one, so I hope you all enjoy!**

**And so, without further ado...  
**

**

* * *

Desperation to Determination**

The hallways were pitch black and cold, and her footsteps seemed to thud loudly, echoing through those empty expanses. Her breaths came out in sharp pants, a result of her fear, determination and slight desperation.

Hinata was running, but in the dark, the hallways seemed to go on forever. She mentally curse herself for dropping her flashlight back there.

After three more steps, her foot caught on something. With a high squeak of shock she fell to the floor with a loud thump, her arms coming out just in time to stop her face was smacking against the wooden floor.

She shook her head roughly, climbing to her fee. '_Stop it! Now's not the time to be afraid! I have to get help for Shino-kun!_' she mentally berated herself and headed down the hallway once again.

She wasn't sure exactly where she was, and as that realization came to her she slowed to a stop, blinking in the darkness.

"Where...?" she whispered, looking left and right. It seemed to be even darker here.

"The main hallway." She said, remembering how there was an almost cross-road like hallway with no windows whatsoever. That place would be the darkest.

'_Okay, so if I was near the school room, that meant I ran into the main hallway from the East. And the stairs are to the North._' She turned in the intented direction and took a step forwards.

There was a growl.

Her breath froze in her mouth and she halted, hands curling into frightened fists near her chest.

A heavy thud to the West made her heart jump and she turned ever so slowly.

It was still pitch black and she couldn't see normally.

With shaking hands, she slowly formed placed her fingers into a strange shaped seal.

"Byakugan."

There was a flash of white in her eyes before the surrounding area seemed to change from pitch black to white. She could make out the vague shapes of the walls, doors and even the staircase far away to the left of her spot. But what grabbed her attention was what she saw before her.

It made her blood run cold and her heart stop.

Another growl sounded.

Hinata couldn't move. She couldn't speak. She couldn't breathe.

All she could do was stare at the gigantic figure of a dog, skin a rippling mass of black shadow and eyes glowing bright yellow.

"A-Akuma Inu." She gasped. '_A demon dog._'

The large demon took another heavy step towards her, a low growl rumbling before it erupted into a full out snarl. It edged towards her, eyes glaring into her own frightened ones. The body of the dog, which seemed to be made of black smoke and shadow rather than flesh, rippled with unreleased muscle tension.

It was ready to pounce.

Hinata was so scared, she felt she might have fainted then and there, but the same fear was keeping her conscious, keeping her there in that terrifying moment.

She could feel a few tears forming at the corner of her eyes and shame joined the fear. '_Why? I'm a member of the Hyuuga clan. A ghost hunter clan! And yet...I'm so weak.'

* * *

_

"_Hinata-sama!"_

_She sniffed, and climbed to her feet, looking at the floor in shame. Her father stood over her, disappointment and disapproval etched into his stern features._

"_Hinata-sama! Are you okay?" Torin, her personal maid was kneeling beside her, looking over the small scuffs on her knees and elbows. The honey-colour haired girl turned to her employer. "Master, she is still so young! This training is too intense for her! Please, I beg of you, to give her some more time to learn before putting her into such a harsh programme!"_

_Hyuuga Hiashi looked down at his eldest daughter's maid and sighed. "Torin, she is a member of the Hyuuga clan. We are a strong and well known clan in the field of ghost hunting. Every other member of the main family and branch family is able to do at least this at her age, and yet she cannot." He turned his attention to Hinata, who cringed at the harsh stare. "Hinata, you shall be training twice as much from now on. You are the next in line to lead the Hyuuga clan; you must be stronger than the rest. Even Hanabi, your younger sister is stronger than you!" he finished loudly, and Hinata whimpered, dropping to her already scuffed knees and bowing low._

"_I'm sorry!" she cried. Hiashi sighed again, shaking his head. He turned and strode out of the courtyard, leaving his whimpering daughter and her livid maid behind._

_Torin glared at the direction her 'master' had left in before turning a soft gaze to the small, nine year old beside her. She place a gentle hand under the girls chin and raised her head. "Hinata-sama." _

_Hinata didn't look in her eyes, keeping her gaze away ashamedly. Torin felt her heart break at the desperate tears running down the pale girls cheeks. "Hinata." She said again, firmly._

_Hinata's eyes swivelled to her, wide. Torin hardly ever left out the suffix when her father was still so close by. "Torin! If you're not careful, father will scold you!" she whispered. Torin snorted loudly._

"_I could care less what your old grump of a father will do. Right now, you need to listen to me." She said, placing a firm hold on the small girl's shoulders. Hinata sniffed, and nodded. _

_Torin smiled. "You are perfectly fine the way you are." She began. Hinata opened her mouth, about to argue but Torin hushed her with a quick finger to the lips. "Don't interrupt! I'm not done yet! I was saying, you are perfect the way you are, and anyone who says otherwise is a fool. You are a kind, caring and beautiful young lady with a heart of gold. Those are points that no oen can gain just by training hard. You have a beautiful gift of kindness and you should use it._

_Also, you shouldn't strive so hard to be something you don't even want to be. I know that you want to make your father proud, but I also know that he will be proud of you for following your dreams. Yes, he says you must be a strong clan head now, but if you fulfil your own dreams, he will see how happy you are and will smile. I know this, because that's how parents are. They want certain things for their children, but the thing they want most of all is to see their children happy." Torin gently wiped away the tears on Hinata's cheeks and smiled warmly at the stunned girl._

"_So, now admit that you are perfect the way you are." Torin ordered with a grin. Hinata blushed brightly, turning her gaze to the floor. A soft mumble came from those quivering lips._

"_I'mokaythewayIam."_

"_What? No, no, you need to say it clearly!"_

_Hinata took a breath, looked up at Torin and said clearly. "I am perfect the way I am!"_

_Torin grinned and patted the girl on the head fondly. "Indeed you are!"_

_Hinata giggled, her mood lifted greatly. Together with Torin, she walked back to her room to change.

* * *

_

"_Torin!"_

_Rain poured down around them, smothering the loud calls of the multiple men around the area._

"_Torin-chan!"_

_Red and blue lights flashed, momentarily illuminating the road and the burnt remains of the small cottage ahead._

"_TORIN!"_

"_No, Hinata! You can't go there!"_

"_Torin is there! I have to see her! I have to see if she's alright!"_

"_Hinata!" Neji yelled, grabbing the frantic girls wrists and struggling to keep her in place. They had received word of a fire in this area, and Hinata had panicked upon hearing it was where her old maid and close friend Torin lived. She had rushed out into the stormy night without hesitation. Neji had run after her, trying to get her to come back home, but the girl was determined._

_When they arrived, the scene was disaster. The house where Torin and a few other tenants were staying was burned to the ground, charred timber and black, wet clumps of ash scattered around. Police and Fire crews were stationed around, keeping passersby away and shifting through the remains of the house for casualties or injured victims._

"_Neji! Let me go! I-I have to help T-Torin!" Hinata sobbed. Neji pulled her back and against his chest, wrapping strong arms around her and keeping her still._

"_It's dangerous!" He hissed. She kept crying and squirming until a loud shout caught their attention._

"_We got a cold one here!"_

_The two Hyuuga's looked over to where the fireman was motioning others. "Looks like she got out, but she inhaled too much smoke. There's signs of asphyxiation." _

_Hinata's eyes went wide, tears falling freely._

_Honey-yellow hair._

"_T-Torin-chan."_

_She took a deep breath..._

_And screamed to the sky.

* * *

_

"_It was a spirit."_

_Hinata's head snapped up to stare at her father incredulously. "W-what?"_

_Hiashi looked down at his fourteen year old daughter. "I said it was a spirit that caused that fire."_

_Hinata blinked owlishly, her lips quivering. "H-how can you b-be sure?" she whispered._

_Hiashi sighed, looking much older than he really was. "I scanned the area with my Byakugan and saw many traces of spiritual energy. After looking into it a bit more, I discovered that the energy was that of a very powerful, very violent spirit." He said and he placed a hand on her shoulder, a very grievous look taking over his face. "I am truly sorry, Hinata. I know she was a close friend of yours." He said softly._

_Hinata gulped, fresh tears leaking out of her eyes. She tried to speak, but the words came out as choked sobs. In a moment of desperation for some sort of comfort, she flung herself forward, wrapping her arms around her father and bawling into his chest. _

_Hiashi was surprised at first, but he quickly hugged the sobbing girl and made hushing sounds. "It's okay, Hina. It's alright." He said, using the nickname his late wife had given the girl._

_Hinata continued to cry until exhaustion took over and she fell asleep, still wrapped in her father's arms. When he saw the girl was asleep, Hiashi gently carried her to her bedroom, laying her down and pulling the covers over her slim frame. He wiped away the tear streaks and sighed._

"_Will she be alright, Uncle?"_

_Hiashi turned to see Neji standing in the doorway, his grey eyes fixed on the girl. Concern and sympathy welled inside._

_Hiashi frowned. "She will be alright. She is a strong Hyuuga." He stated. He walked out, but not before placing a firm hand on Neji's shoulder. "Look after her, Neji. She is strong, but she is also kind and gentle. People will take advantage of that fact." And with that Hiashi left the room._

_Neji watched the sleeping girl for a moment before sighing and leaving, closing the door gently behind him.

* * *

_

_Hinata sat in the shadows of the willow tree in their back garden. In her hands she held the small pendant that Torin had once gotten her for her twelfth birthday. It was a small, heart-shaped lavender coloured crystal._

"_It matches your eyes!" Torin had said once placing it on the stunned Hyuuga girl._

_A few tears leaked out of Hinata's eyes, but she quickly wiped them away. She had to stop crying now. It had been over three months since Torin's passing. She should have stopped crying by now at least._

"_Onee-san?"_

_Hinata looked up at the soft voice and smiled at her younger sister Hanabi. "Yes, Hana-chan?"_

"_Are you okay?"_

"_I'm alright."_

"_But you were crying." Hanabi said, and swiped away a lone tear that Hinata had missed. The older Hyuuga blinked before smiling again._

"_It's okay. I-it's nothing. Just some s-sad memories." She said, her thumb caressing the small pendant. Hanabi frowned, before her eyes lit up with an idea an she grabbed her older sister's wrist, tugging her to her feet. "Hana-chan?"_

"_Come with me!" the small girl said excitedly, and she dragged Hinata away._

_Hinata followed her sister through the halls of their house until they came to the courtyard._

"_Lower! Lower!"_

"_Hah!"_

"_Good. Now, add more strength!"_

"_Yes sir! Hyaah!"_

_Hinata blinked._

_In the centre of the courtyard stood her father and Neji. Her cousin was standing in an odd pose. His arms were outstretched, with one pointing to the ground and the other held high behind him in a straight line. He was slightly crouched and his eyes throbbed with the power of his Byakugan._

"_Hanabi?" Hinata questioned. Her sister giggled and pointed to Neji._

"_Neji-nii-san is practicing ways to fight ghosts! He's going to become strong and then he's going to stop ghosts from hurting people in future!" Hanabi said happily._

_Hinata's eyes widened as she watched Neji's face contort with concentration._

_The brunette boy was focused on Hiashi, and he darted forwards. "Hakke, Rokujuuyonshou!" he called and started attacking._

_Hinata watched as Neji used his index and middle finger to tap at her father's body, each strike causing a strange swishing sound as it struck. Hiashi was moving from side to side, dodging the majority of those attacks, but Neji scored a few hits._

_Hinata gasped when her father's face scrunched in pain at the hits and she wondered what sort of technique her cousin was using._

"_See! Neji-nii-san won't let ghosts hurt anyone else ever again with that technique!" Hanabi said cheerily._

"_You should follow your own dreams!"_

_Torin's words came back to Hinata in that moment, and the girl straightened up. She released her sisters hand and began walking down the hall, towards the gate._

"_Onee-chan?" Hanabi called worriedly. Hinata didn't stop._

"_Thank you, Hana-chan. I've made up my mind now." He called back and left the house quickly.

* * *

_

_The Hyuuga gulped as she observed the large building in front of her. She looked down at the leaflet in her hand, scanning the page to make sure this was the right address._

"_117 Tsubaki Lane. This is the place." She murmured and looked up again. "Rei-Senzai Inc." She repeated the name and gulped again._

_While out training herself, she had come across this leaflet claiming that this ghost hunting crew needed more members. She had kept the leaflet and finally plucked up enough courage to go and see them._

_However, upon seeing the multi-story building, she lost that courage quickly. 'What am I doing? I should just leave.' She thought miserably._

_However, before she could turn to escape back home, a loud and cheery voice called out to her._

"_Yo! Are you lost, miss?"_

_Jumping at the sudden voice, Hinata spun around. She came face to face with a boy with shaggy brown hair, narrow black eyes and a wide, toothy grin. Two red inverted triangles were tattooed on his cheeks and his canines were prominent in his mouth._

_But that's not what startled her._

_No, what startled her was the fact he was practically _nose to nose_ with her, staring at her intently. "Miss?"_

_She screamed, flailing her arms and stumbling backwards. The boy yelled out in surprise, backing away before he could get slapped across the face. "Whoa! Sorry!"_

_Hinata took another step back and tripped, landing painfully on her backside. She yelped and immediately blushed, covering her mouth in embarrassment. The boy blinked at her for a moment before bursting into laughter._

"_You're really strange, you know that?" he sighed, wiping a few tears from his eyes after he'd regained some composure._

_ Hinata had only gotten redder with his outburst and a few tears of embarrassment were swimming in her wide eyes at his comment._

_The boy noticed this and immediately looked guilty. He waved his hands frantically. "Whoa, hold on! I didn't mean it like _that_! I wasn't making fun of you or anything, I swear! I think it's cool when people are strange! I mean, who wants to be _normal_, right?" he finished, laughing sheepishly._

_Hinata sniffed slightly and pulled her hands away from her mouth. "I-I'm s-sorry for s-screaming." She whispered. _

"_Huh? Oh, no that's fine! You're not the first person to be like that! You should see my friend Sasuke! He nearly ripped my head off my shoulders when I did that to him!" the boy laughed loudly at the memory while Hinata looked horrified. "Oh, I'm Kiba by the way. Inuzuka Kiba!" he held his hand out to help her up._

_Gingerly, Hinata took it and climbed to her feet. "H-Hyuuga H-H-Hinata." She stammered._

_Kiba blinked, a strange look coming over his features. "Hyuuga?"_

_Hinata flinched away. Did this boy not like the Hyuuga's? "Y-yes."_

"_Are you Neji's sister?"_

"_Huh? Y-you know N-Neji?" Hinata asked in surprise. Kiba grinned and nodded._

"_Well, not personally. He's my co-worker!" He explained. Hinata tilted her head in confusion._

"_C-co-worker? I d-didn't know Neji h-had a j-job." She muttered. Kiba just smiled._

"_Yeah. He's the psychic in our ghost hunting group. It's called Rei-Senzai!"_

_Hinata took in a breath of surprise and held her hands together. 'N-Neji is already working here? That might make it easier...but what if he doesn't want me here? What if I just get in his way?' she thought sadly._

_A hand on her chest snapped her out of her thoughts and she froze. Kiba was leaning close, his eyes staring at her chest while his fingers roamed between her breasts._

"_This pendant..." Kiba looked up, his smile forcing his eyes to close and stopping him from seeing the unhealthy shade of red Hinata had gone. "This pendant matches your eyes! It's really pretty." He commented._

_Hinata couldn't speak. Kiba's hand was now flat against her chest, the edges of his fingers touching the decent sized hills on her chest. Her face was aflame and her mouth was gaping open. Kiba was still smiling that ridiculously wide smile that kept his eyes closed._

"_U-uh-uh-uh!" Hinata stuttered. Kiba finally opened his eyes, raising and eyebrow at her red face._

"_What? Has no one ever complimented you before? I find that hard to believe." He stated. Hinata went, if possible, even redder, and all forms of communication went out the window._

_Kiba stared at her, unaware that his hand was still against her breast. He was worried that the girl would pass out from lack of oxygen, and he was about to say something when a loud, angry shout ripped through the air._

"_INUZUKA! WHAT THE _FUCK_ ARE YOU DOING TO HINATA?"_

_Kiba turned his head to the side to see a very, _very_ angry Neji running full speed towards him. Sasuke was standing far off, smirking at them._

"_Huh?" Kiba looked at Hinata and his eyes landed on his own hand nestled comfortably between her breasts. _

_He went red and yanked his hand back, spinning to face Neji and raising his hands in defence. "Hang on a moment! It's not what you think!" he yelled desperately._

"_Hakke! Rokujuuyonshou!" Neji bellowed and he darted for the dog-lover. Kiba screamed girlishly and spun around, sprinting away. Neji ran right after him, fingers poised for a strong attack. "GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE YOU FLEA-RIDDEN MONGREL! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU FOR HARASSING MY COUSIN!" _

_Hinata stood motionless, trying to get over the shock and stay conscious. _

"_Oi, you okay?"_

_She squeaked and turned to see the raven haired boy standing there, hands in his pockets and onyx eyes sweeping over her face. "You're not going to faint are you?"_

"_HAKKE NISHOU!"_

"_OH MY GOD! SASUKE, HELP ME!"_

_Hinata blinked and shook her head, gathering her scrambled thoughts. "N-no, I'll be f-fine."_

_Sasuke nodded. "That's good. I'm Uchiha Sasuke, by the way."_

_She smiled lightly. "H-Hyuuga Hinata. I'm N-Neji's cousin."_

"_YONSHOU!"_

"_WAAH! NEJI HANG ON! LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS!"_

"_S-shouldn't we h-help him?" Hinata asked, watching as Kiba stumbled over a bench and Neji jumped clean over it, chasing the boy relentlessly. Sasuke scoffed, also viewing the two._

"_And miss the entertainment? Nah, just leave them alone."_

"_HACHISHOU!"_

"_AGH! OH MAN, THAT _HURTS_!"_

"_So, are you here to apply for a job?" Sasuke inquired. Hinata nodded shyly._

"_T-that was the p-plan." She murmured._

"_JUUROKUSHOU!"_

"_I'M SORRY! I'M _SORRY_! THERE I APOLOGISED! WAGH!"_

"_I think you should. Kakashi needs all the people he can get."_

"_W-will he h-hire me?"_

"_SANJUUNISHOU!"_

"_PLEASE DEAR LORD HELP ME! ANYONE!"_

"_Yes. As long as you're dedicated to the job and not some delinquent, he'll hire you. So you've got no worries." Sasuke said simply, shrugging and watching as Neji jumped and landed right in front of Kiba, who let out another girlish scream._

"_ROKUJUUYONSHOU!"_

"_AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

* * *

_

_Hinata had never been more nervous in her life. She sat on the large couch, fidgeting with her fingers and staring at the floor. On her left sat Neji, is arms crossed while his eyes shifted from the man in front of him to the boy on the far right of Hinata._

_Kiba groaned, his head hanging off the couch and one leg slung over the back of said couch. He was covered in bruises and his clothes were ruffled and ripped in several places._

_He looked like shit. And Sasuke was kind enough to tell him so._

"_Kiba, you look like shit." The raven smirked. _

_Kiba weakly gave him the finger. "Shut up, you prick. You didn't even try to help me."_

_Sasuke grinned. "Of course not."_

"_I hate you." Kiba moaned, lifting his head up. He blinked at Hinata's constant fidgeting. "What's wrong, Hina-chan?"_

_Neji sprang up, jumped over Hinata and landed harshly on top of Kiba, grabbing his shoulders and glaring at him. "_What _did you call her?" he snarled._

_Kiba was sweating profusely, his hands trying to push Neji away unsuccessfully. "Oh, how stupid of me! What was I thinking? I m-mean is there anything wrong, Hyuuga-san." He said, his voice cracking in fear._

_Neji let him go and stormed over to his side of the couch, sitting down with a loud 'hmph'. Kiba sighed and let his head fall back. "I thought I was gonna die." He whispered weakly._

_Kakashi grinned under his mask at their antics, but his eyes stayed in the application form in front of him. When he reached the last sentence, he nodded to himself and placed the form on the table. _

"_Hinata-san." He started. The girl jumped and looked up at him nervously. He gave her a reassuring smile and she seemed to relax a bit. "I think you should just give up on ghost hunting. You obviously can't do it."_

_There was a shocked silence. Neji and Hinata were staring at Kakashi, eyes wide. Kiba was stiff, his face screwed up in utter shock and confusion. Even Sasuke was glaring at Kakashi as if he was nuts._

"_What?" Neji was the first to regain his voice, though it shook with repressed anger._

_Kakashi didn't flinch from the glares he received for saying "She is too weak. She will not be able to handle a job like this."_

_Kiba sprung up angrily. "Kakashi! What the _hell_? How can you say that!" he growled. _

"_I can say it because it is the truth." Kakashi replied coolly. Kiba clenched his fists, glaring at the silver haired man._

"_You could at least use some nicer phrases." Sasuke said from his place in the corner._

"_Come now, Sasuke. You know me better than that. When am I ever known to sugar coat anything?" Kakashi said with a smile._

_All three boys in the room replied at the same time "When there's a cute guy nearby."_

_Kakashi chuckled, scratching his cheek with one finger. "Maa, that's a different scenario."_

"_But what's your reasoning, Kakashi? Why do you say she should give up ghost hunting? Sure, maybe she's not the strongest now, but she can get stronger!" Neji insisted, placing a hand on Hinata's shoulder. _

_The girl remained quiet. Kakashi was staring at her intently, his eyes calculating. "No. She won't."_

"_How can you say that?" Kiba shouted._

"_Because she doesn't want to do it." Kakashi replied._

_Silence ensued and all eyes turned to Hinata._

_The girl was staring at her hands which were tightly clasped together. Her eyes were narrowed in sadness and she was biting her lip to keep from making a noise._

"_You see. It's the truth. She's not suited for this field of work. It would be better for her to just give up and do something else." Kakashi said, his gaze never wavering._

_Neji grit his teeth and turned away, looking down at his younger cousin. "Hinata..."_

"_Kakashi-san."_

_Everyone fell silent at Hinata's voice. It was not the same, timid voice they had heard before, but low and serious. She looked up, her expression determined and fierce. "How would you know what I want to do?" she began._

_Kakashi's smirk was hidden behind his mask as he waited for the girl to continue._

_And she did. "I realize that I am not the strongest person right now. I'll admit to that. But as Neji said, I can train harder and become stronger. I can become useful to this company!"_

"_But what is your reasoning? I don't want employees who work solely for money. My employees need to be serious to the point where they are willing to risk their own safety for the benefit of the client."_

"_If that's what it takes then fine! I am willing! I want to help people! Does it look like money is a problem to me? I come from the Hyuuga family! Money is not an issue! I want to do this job because I want to be useful and make a difference in society!"_

"_Then why not study to become a policeman or a fireman?"_

"_Because they can't save people from ghosts! They can only help a situation when it's already underway! Whereas, with spirits, I can help people before things get out of hand! We can help them!"_

"_But is that what you want?"_

"_Yes! It is!"_

"_Why?"_

"_Because I don't want anyone else to go through what I went through! I don't want someone to lose an important person to a spirit when there's a chance I can stop it!" Hinata yelled._

_The room was deathly still. Neji watched Hinata, his eyes wide and mouth agape. Kiba stared at the girl in awe and admiration. Sasuke was impressed, he just didn't show it._

_Kakashi studied the girl before him, his hidden smirk transforming into a noticalbe smile._

"_Good answer. You pass." He said. Hinata blinked._

"_W-what?"_

"_You pass. Welcome to Rei-Senzai, Hinata-chan."

* * *

_

Hinata's eyes snapped open at a loud growl and she saw the demon dog lunging at her.

'_No!_'

She sidestepped, spinning on her toes. The demon streaked past her, her elbows barely grazing it's smokey body. It skid and clawed across the floor before stopping and turning to her, snarling and growling viciously.

Hinata stood straight, her arms outstretched. '_I swore that I would get stronger._'

"Hakke.."

'_I swore that I would help people._'

"Rokujuu –"

'_I won't go back on my words!_'

"-YONSHOU!"

The dog lunged again, large white fangs glistening in the light. Hinata stood ready, arms still outstretched.

'_Shino-kun...'_

"Hakke nishou!" She swung her hand forwards, landing a hit directly on the demon's nose. It howled in pain, a claw slashed and caught her shoulder, ripping through the material and skin. She grit her teeth to hold in her cry, focusing on her next attack.

'_I'm sorry for being so useless before.'_

"Yonshou!"

'_I should have realized before..._'

"Hachishou!"

'_I shouldn't have been so afraid._'

"Juurokushou!"

'_Kiba-kun, Sasuke-kun, Kakashi-sensei, Neji...Torin..._'

"Sanjuunishou!" Another claw, striking her leg. She stumbled but straightened up, her breathing heavy as blood poured from her wounds. She raised her arms for the final blow, lavender eyes burning with determination.

'_I will get stronger. Now and in future! I'll fulfil my promise!'_

_You should work towards your own dream!_

"ROKUJUUYONSHOU!"

* * *

Shino heard a loud cry from somewhere on the first floor. It sounded like an animal dying painfully.

"What on earth?" he muttered. '_Hinata, be alright. Kiba will rip my testicles out if anything happens to you._' He thought.

The ghost, which he now recognized as Sakon, the worker, slashed through the air again. Shino raised his arm and blocked it, but the ghost's nails caught his skin, leaving shallow gashes across his arm. He frowned at the marks. "That's going to be annoying."

He looked up in time to see the ghost lunge. As payback, he swung his knee up, catching the spirit's jaw and sending it flying upwards. He smirked, but it fell off his face when he got a clear view of the ghost's back. '_Wait a minute! Where's the other head? He had two heads! The other one is missing!_' he thought.

He thought back and his eyes widened. '_Right after Hinata ran! The movement I saw! It was real!_'

He hissed when a nailed hand scratched across his face and he jumped back.

He was very worried now.

Worried for himself. For Hinata.

And for his testicles.

* * *

Hinata was panting, clutching her injured shoulder and leaning on her good leg to keep pressure off of the injured one.

The wounds were pretty deep, but not life threatening. They left her with a stinging ache, and made her vision blurry around the edges.

She coughed a bit, sinking down to the floor to rest. She looked over at the slowly fading body of the Akuma Inu. It's mouth was wide open, revealing the wicked fangs.

She sighed. '_If I'd gotten hit by one of those fangs, I'd have been in the hospital for weeks._' She thought, admiring the razor sharp object.

A light shuffling brought her attention to the hallway she had come from.

A figure was slowly trudging towards her, arms hanging loosely by its sides. Her eyes went wide as she saw, with her Byakugan, the same spirit Shino had been fighting earlier.

"Shino-kun lost?" she whispered in horror. But upon closer inspection, she saw that there were a few differences with this ghost. "No. It's not the same one. Shino-kun is fine." She said, relieved.

The moment was gone when the ghost raised his hand, reaching forwards. She gasped when she felt something close around her neck, cutting off her air supply.

The ghost looked up, smirking at her. He walked forwards until he was only a few feet away and raised his hand higher. Hinata was lifted off the floor, her legs and one arm hanging limply. She struggled, clawing at her neck with her good arm, but she couldn't find the source of her strangulation.

"N-no!" she gasped out.

'_No. This can't be! Not like this!_'

The ghost was laughing, but there was no sound. Her vision was getting hazy as her lungs screamed for air. Her hand grew weaker until it dropped, hanging just as limply as the rest.

'_Am I going to die?_' she thought sadly. Her mind played images of all those she knew, the last one being of a certain brown haired boy with red tattooes on his cheeks.

'_Kiba...kun..._'

* * *

"_Hey, Hinata?"_

_She looked up at Kiba from her spot beneath the small tree in the orphanage garden and smiled. "Yes, Kiba-kun?"_

_He shuffled his feet, looking nervous. "W-well, I was just...uh...wondering..." he began._

_Hinata felt her heart speed up and she waited patiently._

"_I was...wondering...ifyou'dgooutwitme!" Kiba forced out. Hinata stared at him. "S-sorry, I didn't quite catch that..."_

_Kiba swallowed and straightened up. "I-I said I was w-wondering if you w-would go o-o-out with me!" he said loudly, his face going red._

_Hinata's blush matched his as she gaped. After a long, awkward silence, she cleared her throat and smiled shyly. "I-I'd love to."_

_Kiba sighed, looking defeated. "I thought you'd say that. Well, at least Neji will be...Hinata say what?" he asked, eyes wide as her words actually registered in his brain._

_She laughed a bit, and looked at him steadily. "I said I'd love to go out with you, Kiba-kun."_

_Kiba gaped at her for a moment, before a large grin broke out on his red face. "Seriously! AWESOME!" he yelled happily. He sat down next to her and grinned. "So, movies as soon as this job is done?" he asked. She nodded and laughed when he whooped happily._

"_Hey, Hinata?" he said suddenly. She looked at him._

"_Yes?"_

"_Just want you to know...that you can count on me! I'll protect you, okay?" he said, pointing a thumb at himself and winking cheekily._

_She stared at him, blushing before a slow, truly happy smile spread over her porcelain face._

"_Thank you, Kiba."

* * *

_

"OI, YOU SPIRIT PIECE OF _SHIT_! GET YOUR MITS OFF _MY _GIRLFRIEND!"

The loud shout was accompanied by a deep, rumbling bark. Hinata saw a flash of white before the force on her throat vanished and she dropped to the ground.

Coughing and gasping for breath, she looked up, her eyes growing at the sight.

"Kiba!"

Kiba stood in front of her, arms crossed and legs apart as he glared at the ghost.

Said ghost was getting totally mauled by a very large, very angry white dog.

"That's it, Akamaru! Get him!" Kiba egged on. The dog snarled and bit down on the ghost even harder.

Hinata looked at the boy's back, eyes tearing up with relief. "Kiba-kun!" she looked to the left and her eyes grew even wider. "And you guys too?"

"Hinata."

She turned back to see Kiba looking at her over his shoulder. He grinned. "Sorry for being late. We'll take things from here." He said confidently.

* * *

**TADA! AWW X3 KibaHina! Cuuuuute! -dances around happily- so what didja think? Wasn't it cool?**

**I love Neji and Kiba. Well, I love how I make them fight...or more like, Neji pwns Kiba's ass every time!**

**Buuuuuut, that's just my opinion, which can only take me so far. So, I need you to review and leave your opinion! Come on, you know you want to! -nudge nudge, wink wink-**

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter! And YES! Kiba has arrived with...some others... -smirk- **

**Look forward to the next chapter!  
**


	13. Our Reasons for Being Here 1

**OKay, well this chapter is once again split into two parts since it's really long. This chapter is as long as the first chapter (yeah, that's right) so it should be enough to satisfy your craving until I finish the next part of this chapter. I hope you all enjoy it! These two chapters are sort of like...background checks for most of the characters! You will now learn more about certain characters, but not all of them.**

**Please enjoy!**

**

* * *

Our Reasons for Being Here 1  
**

Anyone who knew Inuzuka Kiba well knew when it was a bad time to mess with him. Sure, people like Neji could get away with scaring the bejeezus out of him easily, but there were times when even the Hyuuga boy knew to stay away under pain of death.

Kiba, being raised in the rough, rowdy and canine surrounded environment from birth, had a bit of a feral side.

No, not a bit.

He could go from human to beast in a matter of seconds if you hit the right buttons.

And one of those buttons happened to be his girlfriend.

You _definitely_ did not want to hit that particular button. Hell, you didn't even want to _glance_ oddly at that button, let alone cause physical harm like _hitting_ it.

So, when Inuzuka Kiba, aged sixteen limped into the orphanage where said button and several other buttons were located, and saw that button A, his girlfriend had been hit, stabbed and was in the process of being strangled, Inuzuka Kiba, aged sixteen went into 'I'ma-kill-you-all' mode.

"Akamaru! Attack!" he ordered, and the large white dog at his side charged, fangs bared and cross-designed-collar glinting in the light of his torch.

Kiba moved fast, despite his injuries, to stand in front of Hinata, watching with a cruel satisfaction as the ghost was slowly torn apart by his faithful companion. He knew the dog collar with a cross and holy words inscribed would work.

"Kiba!"

He looked over his shoulder, feeling his blood boil at the sight of Hinata covered in wounds and blood. He seriously wanted to rip something apart, but he needed to keep his head. If this was the situation with Hinata, he had to hurry and help the others.

"Hinata, where are the others located?" He asked quickly. She swallowed and spoke slowly and carefully, obviously making sure not to miss anything important.

"Shino-kun is down the hall to the left. He's fighting this ghosts twin. Shikamaru-kun, Chouji-kun and Ino-san are upstairs. I was on my way to ask them for help, but I'm scared they might be in trouble too. Lee-san, Tenten-san and Neji are on the third floor. Itachi-san and Kisame-kun are outside along with Sasori-kun and Deidara-kun. Sasuke-kun, Sakura-san and Kakashi-sensei are in the basement!" she said, surprising Kiba and his comrades with the fact that she didn't stutter once.

Kiba nodded and turned to the others, raising his hand and pointing to each as he spoke. "You go help Shikamaru's group! You go help Shino! You go and help Neji's group. You go to Itachi and you go to Sasori. And you.." he paused, his finger falling slightly as he looked to the last person.

Said person swallowed before standing straight, glaring determinedly. "I'll go. I'm not afraid."

Kiba smirked. "Liar. But, you're right. You and I will go and help Sasuke's group." He turned to Hinata, glad to see the wounds were already closing up and stopping the bloodflow. "Hina...I'm going to leave Akamaru with you, okay? He'll take care of you and listen to your commands. I want you to stay here and get some strength. Just leave everything else to us." He grinned, and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

She blushed, smiled and nodded. "A-alright."

Kiba grinned at the small stutter. "Akamaru, protect Hinata!" he ordered. His dog barked before continuing his attack on the spirit.

Kiba nodded in approval and turned to the others. "Alright! Let's go!"

They split up, each running for their different destinations.

* * *

"Chouji!"

He grunted as another fist collided with his stomach, sending him to the ground in a sprawled heap. He was battered and bruised from ages of just trying to dodge and only landing a few hits.

The huge ghost before them had only grown in size, seeming to get stronger with each passing moment. Twice, it had ignored Chouji and gone after the other two. Ino had gotten hit in the side, but Shikamaru had taken the brunt of the blows, leaving him with not only two broken ribs, but a twisted ankle, a broken finger and multiple bruises over his chest, legs and face. He now lay on the floor, hardly daring to move for the pain that was shooting up and down his body. His breathing was ragged and his vision had seen better days. (XD BAD PUNS RULE THE EARTH!)

Ino was now hovering over him, trying as best she could to help him and shield his body with her own. She had a long cut on her cheek from sliding across the floor after the hit, but other than that and the bruise on her side, she was unharmed.

Chouji could barely lift his head to watch the ghost leer at him. He swore under his breath when said spirit once again turned to the others. Ino whimpered, but didn't move her body away from Shikamaru. The geniuses brain was going crazy trying to think of ways to help them escape, but no plan appeared.

For once, he was pretty stumped. The damage to his body must have been affecting his brain.

"No! Get away from us!" Ino shrieked as the huge monster loomed over them. He blue eyes widened with terror, and Chouji saw Shikamar's face pale with horror.

The large chef grunted, trying to get to his feet. '_Dammit! I have to help them!_' he thought.

He got to his knees, but found he couldn't move more than that. Another shriek from Ino when the ghost reached towards them, grinning evilly the whole time.

Chouji felt his eyes grow heavy. He was so tired and weak. '_Why am I even here? I'm just a chef. All I can do is cook. I can't do these things. Why did I even join?_'

He fell forwards, seeming to drift off.

'_What are my reasons for being here?_'

* * *

_He was on his fifth bag of chips when it happened._

"_Hey, look! It's that glutton!"_

_He looked up, scowling with a mouthful of chips at the group of boys standing in front of him. The leader had short, copper hair that was spiked straight up, reminding Chouji of a parrot. He decided not to voice his thoughts._

"_What'cha got there lard boy?" the parrot said, snatching away the bag of chips and staring inside. He snorted, noticing that there was only once chip left. "Jeez, way to pack it in, ugly." He smirked, reaching in and grabbing the last chip._

"_Don't. Even. Think. About. It." Chouji ground out. The leader stopped, raising an eyebrow._

"_Think about what?"_

"_Eating my last chip."_

"_Oh? And why not? I'm pretty hungry, and it's not like you need the extra food." He sneered._

_Chouji ignored the comment in favour of warning the boy. "I'm serious. If you dare to eat my last chip, you'll regret it." He said as seriously as his anger would allow._

_The copper head smirked and, slowly for all to see, placed the chip into his mouth, chewed and swallowed._

"_So? What are you gonna d-" The rest of his sentence was lost when a fist connected with his face, sending him backwards. His friends yelled in shock and scrambled to stop him from falling. His nose was now bleeding and he clutched it, howling in pain. Chouji stood, shaking his hand out to get rid of the slight sting from the punch._

"_You asshole! The fuck you think you're messing with?" the parrot screamed. His cronies stood ready for a fight. Chouji internally sighed. He hadn't wanted to fight, but the boy had eaten his last chip. Chouji couldn't control himself when that happened._

_Before any fists could fly, however, a lazy voice interrupted them. "From my point of view, he's not messing with anyone. You are messing with him."_

_Chouji turned along with the parrot and his crew to see a boy sitting lazily on a tree branch nearby, his gaze directed at the sky as he watched the clouds drift passed. His dark brown hair was tied back in a high ponytail and his face looked incredibly bored._

"_Who are you, bastard?" Parrot yelled. The boy let his eyes drift over to the copper head before they went back to the clouds. _

"_I don't really want to be involved with a troublesome guy like you, so I'd prefer not to tell my name." He said._

_Parrot went red in anger, breaking away from his group to start climbing the tree. "You piece of shit! I'm going to kick your ass!" he spat._

_The boy just sighed lazily, watching as the copper head climbed up. His lips twitched ever so slightly, though Chouji was sure he was the only one who noticed. "Oh, I should probably tell you..."_

_There was a loud crack followed by an even louder scream. Chouji blinked, surprised to see that the parrot was on the ground, a branch spread on top of his chest as he yelled and cursed in pain._

_The brunette in the tree smirked. "...That _that_ branch isn't safe. Be careful." He finished._

_Chouji snickered, stifling the noise by placing a hand over his mouth._

_The parrot was pulled to his feet by his friends, turning to glare at the brunette in the tree. He muttered something to his friends, before they all smirked. Chouji had a bad feeling._

_The brunette didn't fail to notice the smirks and raised one eyebrow wearily._

"_You think you're so smart, don't you?" the parrot squawked, pointing a finger at the lazy boy who just blinked in reply._

"_I was just warning you. The same way he warned you not to eat his last chip. You were just too stupid to listen and you got hurt. I don't have to be smart. You're just incredibly dumb."_

_The parrot growled, and he and his friends ran forwards, all of them heading for the tree and scrambling up it at different angles._

_Chouji was about to move to help the boy in the tree, but upon seeing the small smirk that adorned the lazy boy's face, he paused, sensing something was about to happen._

_The air was filled with multiple loud cracks and cries of shock and pain. Chouji stared in wonder at the group of boys now sprawled around the tree, rubbing their heads, their backs and other parts of their bodies in agony. The boy in the tree was only smirking down at them._

"_Oh, I forgot to mention. Practically all the branches on the lower half of the tree are weak. If you grab them like that, they'll break easily." He said nonchalantly, as if the branches were still on the tree and not scattered over the many swearing boys on the floor._

_Chouji sat down, stuffing his whole fist into his mouth to stifle the laughter._

_The parrot and his cronies stood up, glaring at the boy. "You'll pay for this! You hear me!" he screeched before running off with his friends close behind._

_Chouji turned to the boy and smiled. "Thanks." He called. The boy looked down at him and nodded._

"_No problem. They were troublesome anyways. So loud and noisy, I could hardly nap in peace." He said. Chouji blinked._

_"How are you going to get down?" he called. The lazy boy raised one hand, revealing a rope ladder that was tied to the tree.  
_

_Chouji shuffled his feet. He wanted to ask the boy his name, but his earlier statement of 'not wanting to be involved with troublesome guys' came back to him. Although he knew the kid was talking to the parrot, he might not want to keep conversation now that the noise was gone._

_His fears were dispelled, however, when the boy spoke again. "I'm Nara Shikamaru. What's your name?"_

_He looked up and grinned. "Chouji. Akimichi Chouji."

* * *

_

_Chouji slumped down in his chair and groaned loudly. His roommate and best friend looked over at him. "What's up?"_

"_I got fired from the restaurant...again." he mumbled. Shikamaru sat up a little straighter and looked at him directly._

"_What happened this time?"_

"_They got angry that I was changing the recipes. But they don't realize that you can't put those spices in that dish! It doesn't work! It only adds calories that are unnecessary! If they added the Thyme like I said, the calories would be reduced and the taste would be the same!" he stopped his rant when a hand was placed on his shoulder. He looked over and sighed. "Sorry. It's just frustrating."_

_Shikamaru nodded, well aware of his friend's exceptional cooking skills. Chouji had a knack for making delicious meals that were healthy and tasty. He had a natural talent, but the owners of restaurants didn't like it when their recipes were discredited. He knew for a fact that the customers never complained._

_The other chefs did, saying he was doing his own thing and making fools out of them by not following the recipe._

_Bunch of morons in his opinion._

"_Don't worry, Chouji. You'll find another job." He said lazily, turning to the television which was showing a very boring show about grass._

_Honestly, they thought _he_ had no life? These people were identifying different types of _grass_._

"_Shikamaru, what is your job?" Chouji asked suddenly. Shikamaru's eyes shifted over to the boy and he sighed._

"_I'm a technician." He said shortly. Chouji crossed his arms._

"_A technician? For what? That sounds a bit too troublesome for you." He said, using his friends favourite word._

_Shikamaru scowled at the mocking, but answered anyway. "I work for a company called Rei-Senzai Inc. I handle most of the video footage and such."_

_Chouji blinked. "Rei-Senzai? As in Spirit Cleanser? Are you a ghost hunter?"_

_Shikamaru turned to give him a blank stare. "No. I'm a technician. I just told you that."_

_Chouji chuckled at his friends dryness, but his interest was peaked. "I know, but this company. You go around looking for ghosts and stuff?" he asked._

_Shikamaru sighed, obviously realizing things were going to get troublesome if he didn't answer. "Yes. The leader, Kakashi has some experience in the paranormal field and such. He's hired several other people. Like, there are two Hyuuga's there. I think their names are Neji and Hinata. They have psychic powers or something that lets them see spirits and spiritual energy. They also know some techiniques to fight spirits. Well, Neji does. I'm not sure about Hinata._

_There's also a really loud guy there named Inuzuka Kiba. He's a specialist in animal spirits or something. He looks a bit like a dog himself, with the fangs and scruffy hair. He's nice enough, but really troublesome."_

_Shikamaru named a few other people, including Sasori, Deidara, Itachi and Itachi's younger brother who occasionally visited, but didn't work there._

_Chouji was enthralled. He was awed that his friend was involved in a proffesion that was so abnormal. He had known Shikamaru to be one to love simple things. The guy practically begged for average. So to find out he was working for a company that was anything but average came as a surprise for the obese boy._

"_Shikamaru?"_

"_Hm?"_

"_Why are you working there?"_

"_..."_

"_I mean, you always say you want a simple life, but with a job like that, it seems like it could be very troublesome sometimes. I mean, there's the chance of danger, you have to travel to different places often. It doesn't seem like something you would enjoy."_

"_...I have my reasons."_

"_Well, what are they?" Chouji inquired. He didn't mean to pry, but he was Shikamaru's best friend! He wanted to know what his friend was thinking. Shikamaru sighed and stared out the window._

"_Lately, I've been feeling bored. Sure, I'm glad that I don't have a hectic life, but I'm still human. I need to do something or else I might just waste away here. Also, everything else in my life is average, with the exception of my work. I get high scores in school, but not enough to make any sort of difference. I've never done anything to really affect anyone._

_I just thought...it would be nice to know I'm making some sort of difference. It would be nice to know a lazy guy like me can still do something for others. And with this job, I can help people, but not get in the spotlight and have to deal with troublesome matters like that." He finished, closing his eyes._

_Chouji sat silently, letting it sink in. So Shikamaru was trying to make something out of himself without having to take the most obvious roads. He was doing it discreetly._

_Chouji thought he liked the sound of that._

"_Hey, Shikamaru?"_

"_Hm?"_

"_Do you think they need a chef?"_

_For the second in his friendship with the lazy boy, Chouji was privy to the large grin that spread over Shikamaru's face._

"_Sure. Kakashi's cooking sucks anyway."

* * *

_

His eyes snapped open and he looked up. '_That's right._'

He grunted, pulling himself to his feet with newfound strength.

'_I wanted to be able to do something with myself.'_

The ghost turned, growling silently at the fact that the boy would not stay down.

'_I wanted to make a difference in my own way, just like Shikamaru did._'

He stumbled slightly, but kept his feet on the floor, staring up at the monster that turned and began thudding towards him angrily.

'_I wanted to follow his lead and use my own skills to be something!_'

He ran forwards, letting out a roar as he charged straight into the huge spirit. They both were sent flying to the floor, Chouji on top. He sat up and started punching, again and again, his breathing growing heavier and heavier with each blow.

His muscles screamed for relief and his eyes were blurred and begging to close, but he kept hitting.

'_Even if I can only keep it occupied until morning, I'll do it._'

Shikamaru watched as his friend fought, feeling angry at himself for not being able to fight. He cursed his own disability to dodge and watched with worried eyes as Chouji was knocked off to the side by a large fist. Ino was whimpering above him, and he didn't know whether to thank her for trying to protect him or snap at her for not helping his friend.

'_Dammit! Dammit! I don't want to lose here! I don't want my friends to suffer because I was an idiot!_'

With a laboured breath he pushed himself up on his elbows, grunting as his broken finger bent further. Ino got off him, her hands resting on his shoulders nervously. "You shouldn't move!" she hissed.

He shook her off, keeping his eyes focused on Chouji, who was getting beaten into the floor now. His anger fuelled at the pained shout the boy let out when the ghost landed a punch on his knee, a loud crack sounding.

Shikamaru began shuffling towards the two, ignoring the screaming pain in his leg, hand and chest.

'_I'm not going to go down without a fight. I won't let my friends die when I can still do something about it!_'

He didn't have a plan. For the first time in his life, he was going to wing it completely. All he could think was he had to help Chouji. He had to do _something_.

'_I got into this job to try and make a difference, but all I've been doing is staring at monitors and making suggestions!_'

He was close now, and looking around he say a heavy volume book. Getting to his knees with a soundless cry of pain, he grabbed the volume and threw it with as much force as he could muster.

It hit the ghost smack in the head, bouncing off and landing with a heavy thud.

The spirit's attention was drawn to him immediately, its fist stopping inches from Chouji's face.

Chouji was barely conscious. He saw Shikamaru through the corner of his eye and internally smirked at the determined look on the guy's face. '_You're always complaining about troublesome things, but you can sure act troublesome yourself sometimes._' He thought with an inside laugh.

Shikamaru caught the look his friend sent him, knowing exactly what he was thinking. He sighed.

'_I guess I can't avoid troublesome things when I'm troublesome myself. Ah well..._' He looked up at Chouji and grinned through his bruises. "I guess we're both a couple of troublesome guys, aren't we?" he asked.

Chouji grinned back and nodded despite the pain it caused. "Guess so."

Shikamaru watched as the spirit bore down on him. He didn't move. He couldn't even if he wanted to. He was way to tired and sore.

'_Well...I managed to do something. What a troublesome way to die._'

He closed his eyes, waiting for the inevitable.

"Not so fast, fatty!"

His eyes snapped open at the loud voice. There were heavy footsteps before a figure jumped past him, swinging something down. It hit the ghost on the head, and immediately steam began pouring off of him. The spirit let out a silent scream, writhing away from the object.

The figure straightened up and looked over at Shikamaru, black eyes glinting. The four blonde pigtails and purple outfit were familiar. Shikamaru gaped up at his saviour in disbelief.

"T-Temari?"

She grinned cockily at him, leaning on the large metal fan with strange words inscribed on the sides.

"Yo, Cry-baby-san."

* * *

Neji prided himself on many things.

He was smart, handsome, had _great_ hair and was good at all the skills his clan required him to have. He could fight anyone, his martial arts skills honed to perfection. Even Lee had trouble keeping up with him, as his speed was so impressive.

He could smooth talk and gain information from anyone with a little work. He could intimidate grown men with a well placed glare and he could solve a problem within minutes with his quick thinking.

He prided himself on all of that.

And yet...

"Hachishou!"

Why...

"Dammit, juurokushou!"

Wouldn't...

"Sanjuunishou!"

This thing...

"Rokujuuyonshou!"

_DIE_?

Neji jumped, performing a back flip and landing neatly on the floor in front of his two comrades. He panted slightly, glaring at the spirit before him. He was using spiritual energy to touch the thing, yet he couldn't make it disappear or stay down. It was as if this ghost was real and not the remaining energy of a dead being.

"Dammit!" he hissed, getting into position. His shoulders ached from all the attacking, and his muscles were growing tired. He'd been fighting for about two hours with no break. And this spirit wasn't a pushover. It had gotten its fair share of hits too, leaving Neji's pale skin littered with small cuts and bruises.

"Let me try!" Lee said and he darted forwards before Neji could protest. The green clad boy crouched and swung his leg upwards.

The spirit of Kidomaru dodged to the side, and Lee's foot streaked through the air. With an angry grunt, the boy re-directed his foot, swinging it to the side. The ghost did not expect this and was hit in the jaw, his face snapping to the side.

Lee shot to his feet, his fist coming forward. But one of Kidomaru's many arms shot up, grabbing the hand. His dark tanned skin contrasted with the whit bandages Lee had wrapped on his hands and both Lee and Neji were shocked at the solidity of the hand.

"It is like he is..." Lee began.

"..A re-animated corpse." Neji finished. Of course. No wonder his energy attacks weren't working. He couldn't disperse the spiritual energy when there was a solid wall of flesh blocking the way. He cursed himself for not realizing it sooner.

Lee's hand was twisted around, and he grunted in pain, pushing away and landing beside's Neji.

Tenten stood behind them, watching the fight while keeping tabs on the surroundings at the same time. The bodies of giant spiders littered the hallway, and she shuddered thinking about it. Luckily, Lee had stopped any of those disgusting things from touching her, but they still creeped her out.

She let out a small gasp and grabbed onto their shoulders. "Guys! Look!"

They turned, their eyes widening. Behind them, were two monstrous looking tarantulas. Multiple inky black eyes were staring blankly at them and sharp pincers clicked noisily. The legs were as long as Neji's body themselves. They could sit on those things as if they were horses!

"Holy shit!" Tenten whimpered. Lee gulped. Neji's eyes shifted between the spiders and the spirit, his mind whirring. '_Crap, I can't deal with both of them! Lee might've been able to handle those small spiders, but these are huge! He can't take them alone! Tenten is no help. She can't fight at all.'_ He thought frantically.

However, he didn't have time to make up his mind before the spiders moved. With loud, thudding steps they scuttled over to them, often bumping against each other in their haste to get to the three students.

Tenten shrieked, Lee blocked her body with his and Neji spun around to face them.

"Hakke! Nishou!" he started his attack, calling out each number as he moved further over the spider's back. The spider let out a strange hiss/whine sort of noise as he struck it, but it didn't go down. In fact, it got angrier.

"Neji! Look out!" Lee yelled.

The Hyuuga only had time to look before a leg was hitting him in his midriff. He was sent flying backwards, and Lee only just managed to catch him before he hit the ground. The two boys were left panting slightly, staring in horror as the beasts grew nearer.

"Neji, what should we do?" Lee hissed.

Neji swallowed, and stayed silent.

Lee turned wide eyed and started at the brunette. "You do not have a plan?" he asked in shock.

Now, for everyone out there, another thing the Hyuuga prided himself on was that he never, ever blushed. So, the light smattering of red on his cheeks was from all the fighting.

"What about you? Don't you have a plan!" he hissed back. Lee blinked.

"But you are always the one with the plan in our youthful group." He replied. Neji glared at him.

"Well, why do I always have to come up with the ideas? Can't you think for yourself?"

"Uh, guys?" Tenten began weakly.

"Every time I made a youth filled suggestion, you would shoot it down." Lee said, returning the glare with a lesser one.

"Because your suggestions are bullshit." Neji spat.

"Guys..!"

"There's no reason to get so snappy, Neji. It is most un-youthful."

"You know what, Lee, you can take your damn _youth_ and shove it up your-"

"GUYS!" Tenten screamed. The boys broke out of their glaring match to focus on the girl. She pointed a shaky finger right above them and they turned, their jaws dropping. One of the huge spiders was right above them, ready to strike.

"Oh.." Lee started.

"..shit." Neji finished in a hiss.

They barely managed to escape in time, throwing themselves to the side as a large leg slammed down, almost hitting them. As it was, they received bumps and cuts from rolling across the hard wood floor.

Neji cursed in his head, picking his head up. He was angry that he was losing like this. It wasn't right! He was a Hyuuga! He shouldn't be losing to a bunch of bugs!

'_Actually, they are not insects. They are part of the arachnid family._' Shino's deep voice echoed in his mind and he actually blinked in bewilderment.

'_I must be going insane._' He thought to himself, shaking his head slightly. This was crazy. Here he was, a complete _mess_ and on the _floor_ and faced with a re-animated corpse/spirit _thing_, two bigger-than-a-horse sized _spiders_, and he was busy remembering some fun fact the _bug-lover_ had told him?

"This is a most un-youthful situation."

"Yes."

"...Neji, did you just agree with me about the youthfulness, or lack thereof, of the situation?"

He blinked again. '_Oh yeah, I've officially lost my mind._' He thought miserably.

His thoughts of his fading sanity were interrupted when he had to roll over to dodge another attack. He scrambled to his feet, keeping an eye on Kidomaru who was simply smirking at them, enjoying the show. He scowled.

'_Stuck-up spirit prick._'

"Lee! Look out!" Tenten shrieked. Neji snapped his head to the side in time to see the green-loving boy knocked clear off his feet, slamming into the wall and sinking down with a moan of pain before his head lolled to the side slightly.

"Lee!"

"LEE!"

'_Dammit! What should I do? At this rate, we're not going to last. Tenten can't fight, Lee's out cold and my techniques don't work on those bu-arachnids!_' he thought, his eyes darting from one enemy to the next in rapid succession.

He was clueless.

'_What should I do? What should I do?_'

The spirit of Kidomaru turned to him, his face pulled into a triumphant sneer.

"What should I do?" Neji whispered.

* * *

"_Neji-nii-san?"_

"_Yes, Hanabi-sama?"_

"_Why do you always add sama to mine and Onee-chan's names?"_

_Neji looked down at his young cousin seeing the innocent curiosity in those pale eyes. He placed his cup of green tea down and focused on the girl. _

"_That is because you are a part of the main family, whereas I am only a part of the branch family. It is to show respect." He explained. She tilted her head, scrunching her nose._

"_But, you're older than me! Shouldn't that mean I must call you Neji-sama then, to show you respect?" she asked. Neji shook his head, not surprised the six year old didn't understand._

"_No. It's a different kind of respect."_

"_What kind?"_

_He sighed and shook his head again. "You are still young, Hanabi-sama, it would be difficult to explain. When you are older you will understand." He said. She pouted, but let it go when her father came out and called to her._

"_Hanabi, it's time for your training."_

"_Yes, Otou-san!" she called and stood up._

_Then, unexpectedly, she placed a kiss on Neji's cheek. He dropped his cup of tea, which had been halfway to his mouth, onto his lap. The hot liquid spilled over his legs and he winced at the sting. Hanabi hadn't seen the accident, as she had already run through to the training area. Hiashi, however, had seen it all. He walked over to the stunned boy, handing him a towel from the nearby cupboard._

_Neji bowed his thanks and began dabbing at his legs. Hiashi watched him for a moment._

"_Do you remember something similar happening when you were seven?" he asked suddenly. Neji looked back at his uncle, and shook his head slightly._

_Hiashi sat down next to him and began. "It was Hinata's birthday, and you were very excited to meet your cousin for the first time, since you had not been around during her other birthdays. She was turning six, and everyone was invite. I remember her asking me where you were. She had heard about you from the others and was excited to meet you as well._

_However, when the two of you finally met, it was very awkward. She was so shy she hardly spoke, and you were unsure of how to talk to her because she was a head family member, but she was younger than you._

_Torin, you remember her, was the one who suggested you sit down and have tea together. That seemed to help break the ice, because soon the two of you were talking, and you got on marvellously. However, you always called her Hinata-sama. _

_Hinata had never liked being addressed so highly and eventually she asked you to leave out that suffix. You did so immediately, ignoring the rules. Hinata was so happy, she did exactly what Hanabi did when she was called away. You dropped your tea then, too." Hiashi finished, smiling at his nephew._

_Neji slowly nodded as the memory came back to him. Indeed he had dropped his cup of tea and scorched his knees. But he'd also been very happy that day. He'd been happy to know that even though he was just a branch family member, he was still on equal grounds with his younger cousin._

_Although, he had been scolded by several of the elder family members for not adding 'sama' to Hinata's name whenever he addressed her, but he didn't pay attention to that. It had become a habit not to use the suffix with her._

"_Neji." Hiashi began again, and the brunette broke out of his thoughts to acknowledge his uncle._

_Hiashi looked thoughtful for a moment before turning to him. "Hinata cannot become the head of the Hyuuga family." He said seriously._

_Neji blanched and stood up. "Why is that? She is a strong girl and dedicated too!" he argued. Hiashi stood to._

"_I agree she is dedicated, and she has her own strengths, but it is not the strength needed to lead the clan." He said. _

_Neji grit his teeth to avoid lashing out. He knew Hinata was not leader material, but he wanted to see her succeed._

"_Neji, I am assigning you to be the next clan head."_

_The sentence knocked him off balance, he gripped the wall to keep standing, staring up at his uncle with wide eyes._

"_W-what?"_

"_You are the next clan leader. As such, you will be training with me from now on."_

"_B-but...Hinata...Hanabi-sama! They are your daughters!" Neji said. Hiashi shook his head._

"_And neither of them are strong enough to lead the clan. They will be able to provide a strong heir to the clan, but they cannot lead it when the time comes. You will."_

_At this, Neji bristled, his back snapping straight and his eyes going stony. "So I'm their temporary replacement?" he hissed._

_Hiashi fixed him with a stern glare. "You should be honoured. You are a member of the branch family, and yet you will lead the clan for a time! Your father wanted that for you, did he not? So his wishes are being fulfilled." Hiashi replied coldly._

_Neji snapped._

"_He wanted me to live my life the way _I_ wanted to! He didn't want me to be confined to the rules and guidelines of the branch family! He didn't want me to become the clan leader for _honour_! He wanted it so that I could be _free_!" Neji yelled._

"_You will not raise your voice to me!" Hiashi snapped, and activated his Byakugan. The glare he gave Neji through those eyes sent a horrid pain whirring through the young Hyuuga's head, making him grip it and sink to the floor._

_Hiashi continued the glare until a sharp screech came from behind him. He spun around, only to see Hanabi and Hinata standing there. The older girl had her hands to her mouth, staring in horror at him. Hanabi dashed past him and stood in front of Neji protectively. "Stop it, Otou-san!" she shrieked._

_Hiashi let his Byakugan die and the pain in Neji's mind disappeared, leaving him heaving breathes on the floor. Hinata quickly went to his side, kneeling down and looking over him. She turned to her father._

"_W-why did you d-do that?" she asked. Hiashi looked at her sternly._

"_He needed to learn some respect."_

"_NO!" Hanabi screeched, glaring at her father. He blinked, shocked that she was acting so disrespectful, but there was no way he'd force his spirit energy onto her the same way he did Neji._

"_Hanabi! Hinata! This none of your concern. Neji is going to become the next clan head, and therefore he needs to learn how to properly respect those that deserve it." Hiashi said loudly, his anger apparent in his tone. _

_Hinata flinched, sinking a little closer to Neji, but not wavering in her gaze. She was scared of her father, but she didn't like his way of doing things._

"_No! I'll take over the clan! I'll work really, really hard and take over the responsibility!" Hanabi yelled back. The room went quiet as Hiashi and Hinata stared at the small girl. Neji looked up, the dull ache in his head having subsided. He glared at Hiashi, but after hearing Hanabi's words, he had come to a decision._

"_No. I'll do it." He said._

_Hanabi spun around. "B-but you don't want to! I know you don't!" she said._

"_But neither do you. Neither of you two want to become the clan head." He replied._

_Hanabi and Hinata looked down at the truth in those words. Neji stood up and stared directly at his uncle._

"_I will become the clan head, but..." he sent a challenging glare "I will still live the way I want. You do not own me, Hiashi." And with that he left._

_A week after that, he joined Rei-Senzai Inc. It was his own way of training to be the clan head, while still living in his freedom.

* * *

_

"What should I do?" He whispered.

"You could start by dropping the hissy fit and actually fighting."

"What do you think I've been do-...huh?" Neji blinked in a most un-Hyuuga like way. He recognized that monotone voice.

He spun around in shock and stared at the new arrival, who was standing next to one of the huge and now immobile spiders. He knew that red hair anywhere.

"Gaara!"

Gaara blinked, and yanked out the long pole that he had shoved through the spider's legs.

"Hello, Neji."

* * *

Shino let out another sigh, looking at the spirit in front of him. Honestly he was getting tired of dodging. He had already figured that protective dolls and banishing chants wouldn't work. He had nothing to fight with.

"I hope Hinata is okay, at least." He murmured. He was worried for the girl. After realizing that the twin was gone, Shino had figured that it was after her. He only hoped the strange howl he'd heard had not been Hinata's voice.

He stared at the spirit before him and sighed again.

This was so not his area of expertise. He had joined the Rei-Senzai crew due to Kiba, his friend's, recommendation.

He found it ironic that the same friend that got him the job was the one that would remove his balls for botching said job up to the extent of his girlfriend being injured.

He was snapped out of his thoughts by a loud shout.

"Oi, the glasses guy over there! What's your name again?"

He looked up to see none other than the brown haired, black eyed, make-up sporting teen Kankuro running his way, carrying a pole. Shino raised an eyebrow not only at his sudden appearace, bt also at his question and his out of breath state.

"It's Shino. And what are you doing here?" he asked calmly, keeping an eye on the ghost.

Kankuro grinned. "Well, that's a long story. But the nutshell version is we got a call from Kiba, who said we had to haul ass over here to save yours and everyone else's. We even brought these weapon things Kiba got. They're supposed to work on these guys or something." He said, holding out the pole.

Shino looked at it, noting the small chain wound around the tip. A silver cross dangled from the chain, glinting in the little light there was. He nodded, and then looked at the panting boy again.

"Why are you out of breath?" he inquired.

Kankuro rubbed his head a bit sheepishly. "I-uh...sort of...got a bit lost on my way here." He murmured.

Shino blinked slowly. "You live here."

"Yeah."

"And you got lost."

"...Yeah, I guess so."

"You're an idiot."

"Ye-hey! What? You ass! I came here to help you and you call me an idiot!"

"You got lost in your own home."

"Well, the hallways are different at night!"

"No they are not."

"They seem different!"

"They aren't though."

"You...I...Ugh, just shut the fuck up and help me kill this thing!" Kankuro snapped, turning to the ghost. Shino shook his head, also returning his attention to the ghost.

'_Somehow, I get the feeling the other's are experiencing much more movie-like moments._' He thought.

* * *

Sasori's eyebrow was twitching uncontrollably.

"Danna! Danna! _Daaaaannaaaaaaaa_!"

"WHAT?" he snapped, turning his head to look over at his idiotic companion.

Deidara sent him a very upset look. "Have you got a plan, un?"

Sasori's eye joined his eyebrow in twitching. "No, Deidara. Like the past eight times you asked in the last two minutes, I do. Not. Have. A. Plan." He ground out.

Deidara pouted. "Why not, un?" he asked.

Sasori grit his teeth. '_Remember what Granny Chiyo told me. Breathe in and out. In and out._' He mentally spoke, helping him to keep calm.

"_Daaaaaaaaaannnnnnaaaaaaaa_!"

"OH FOR CRYING OUT LOUD SHUT UP!" He roared, waving his arms angrily. The movement caused him to swing through the air, only succeeding in making him dizzy.

He hated this.

**-in-scene-flashback attack! 8D-**

"Deidara, I'm not going to argue with you anymore. Art is something that lasts forever. Finished." He said sternly. Deidara scowled and opened his mouth, ready to argue.

He was cut off, however, when a tremendous crack erupted in the air around them. They jumped, finally noticing their surroundings.

Their eyes bugged.

The trees around them were moving. The roots for sprouting from the ground and snaking along, dragging the long trees forward. They were walking trees!

Sasori gaped while Deidara screamed. "HOLY SHIT! IT'S TREEBEARD!" **(1)**

They jumped out of the way as a large root came crashing down on the spot they were in.

Landing painfully on the ground, Sasori scowled when several stones whacked him on the head. "Dammit." He cursed, climbing to his feet and looking around. He spotted the spirit floating high up in the tree tops, playing the flute and staring down at them cruelly.

"She's playing a different song." He said.

Deidara ran past, getting chased by several stones as he went. "That's great, but what does that mean for us, un?" he called as he past by.

Sasori dodged a root and landed near another tree, jumping out of the way as a branch came swinging at him. "It means her songs control the surroundings, and the type of song controls the strength of the attack." He explained.

Deidara ran past again, this time chased by thorny roots. "So? What do we do, un?"

Sasori sat down, narrowly avoiding another branch without realizing it. He cupped his chin thoughtfully, thinking. A stone shot for his face an automatically, he blocked it. He was so used to Deidara throwing small things at him, his reflexes were super.

"We...need to get that flute away from her." He decided.

Deidara came running by again. Sasori raised an eyebrow when he saw that a few daisies were all that floated after him. "Why are you running from daisies?"

"Becuase, un, they smell funny!" Deidara called, grinning.

Sasoir face-palmed. "I hate you."

"I love you too, un!"

The two of them started climbing the trees, often having to hold onto a swaying branch for dear life. They finally reached the higher points, coming almost level with the spirit who was still playing the flute, her eyes closed.

"NOW!" Sasori yelled, lunging forwards, his hands outstretched. Deidara jumped from the other branch, also aiming for the flute.

The ghost was inbetween them. Because of that small fact, they didn't realize they were on a collision course until she moved swiftly out of the way. With a loud crunch they smashed into each other, legs and arms sticking out comically as they remained still in the air for a split second.

"Oof, un!" Then gravity was back, pulling them straight back to the earth. They were so high up, and couldn't help but scream as they fell.

Well, Deidara screamed.

Sasori went "Oh shiiiiiiit!" the whole way.

But before they could hit the ground, two vine-like branches wrapped around their ankles, suspending them upside down in the air.

And that was where they currently were. Hanging upside down, about eight feet off the ground, their arms dangling uselessly.

**-end-in-scene-flashback 8D-**

Deidara whimpered slightly as the blood continued to rush to his head. He struggled, his body swinging before he felt sick and tried to stay still. "Danna, this is bad." He whined.

Sasori agreed with him silently. He was beginning to feel lightheaded.

"S-Sasori, un!"

He turned at the weak voice and his eyes widened. Deidara's face was red and he was smiling stupidly. "You're really cute, Sasori-chan!" Deidara sang.

Sasori sighed. '_Great, his minds gone all weird from being upside for so long._' He mentally sighed.

The sound of hurried footsteps caught his attention and he looked down in time to see someone burst into the clearing.

"Hey!" he called, and the person below stopped. It was too dark to see details, so he had no idea who the person was. He just hoped it was an ally.

The new arrival picked up his fallen torch and pointed it upwards, illuminating the two hanging men. A very amused and surprised voice called out to them.

"Hey guys. How's it hanging?"

Sasori blinked. '_Oh great. Our saviour is a smart-mouthed kid with crimson hair. How lovely._'

* * *

**Yeah, like I said, only a few characters will be revealed. the next chapter covers Sasuke and Itachi, gives an over all view of why the Akatsuki members are there and also deals with...wait for it...Sakura!**

**Yes. Yes I did. I did make a past for her. Ha ha ha. -sticks tongue out-**

**Okay, sorry but I don't have much to say...I finished a sad one-shot called Truth and it's still lingering on me...yes, it made me cry, and I was the one writing it. Guess I've reached that special point.**

**Anyway, read and review to let me know what you think of this chapter! Thank you to all my loyal readers!  
**


	14. Our Reasons for Being Here 2

**Woot! Sorry this took so long! (yes, it was long for me. I like updating super fast, it makes me feel proud)**

**And so here we have the second part of Our Reasons for Being Here. **

**Sorry, but Kakashi's group isn't covered in this chapter. They are in the next. No, not more background stories. I'm saving that for something...special. *grins wickedly***

**Also, to all my reviewers thank you so much! I love getting your reviews, but sometimes I can't always aswer them...so I'll say thank you right here! THANK YOU!**

**And, once again, a very, very SPECIAL thank you goes out to SilverXStarlight. She ROCKS! *huggles her* it's thanks to this chickie right here that I get so fired up to write long chapters! PRAISE HER PEOPLE!**

**Okay! I've delayed for long enough, have I not? No more waiting! Here's the next update!**

**READ ON!  
**

**

* * *

Our Reasons for Being Here 2**

The air surrounding them was thick with tension. Fiery magenta eyes burned into calm green ones. A shaking hand carefully picked the small wooden piece up.

A single bead of sweat dripped down a peach forehead. Suddenly, the hand moved, slamming the small piece down and making a loud 'tap' sound echo in the otherwise silent room.

"HA! Check out that move! Fuck yeah!" Hidan called triumphantly, enjoying his moment of genius.

"Checkmate." Kakuzu said nonchalantly, placing his own piece down on the board. Hidan froze halfway through a victory dance, his eyes bugging out of his head as he stared at the chessboard.

"NO FUCKING WAY!" he screeched, pointing at the board. "There's no way in hell you won _again_!"

Kakuzu shrugged, staring at his nails. "It's not my fault you suck." He said.

"Fuck you, Stitches! I want a rematch!" Hidan demanded, slamming his hand on the table. Kakuzu rolled his eyes.

"You've 're-matched' me about eight times now. Just admit defeat before you hurt yourself." He said.

"No fucking way! I'm going to beat your hacked up ass! Just you wait, asshole!" Hidan declared, resetting the board viciously.

Kakuzu sighed as he watched his partner. '_He's such an idiot._' He thought.

They were sitting in the living room, or 'Home Base' as Kakashi had called it. The toher teams had been gone for a while, but no one had called in asking for help, so they were simply waiting. They had found the chess board and decided to use it to pass the time. It was fun the first three times, but Hidan kept losing so easily, Kakuzu had lost interest.

Ignoring the grumbling of his partner, his eyes travelled to the doorway.

For a split second, he swore he saw a flash of orange.

'_I think my eyes need to be tested._' He thought again, turning back. He blinked.

"Hidan...why is my King surrounded by your Pawns?"

"Hush fool! They're performing the ritual of Lord Jashin on your pathetic King!" Hidan said excitedly.

Kakuzu groaned and face palmed. '_I really, really want a new partner._' He thought miserably.

* * *

Itachi was getting annoyed.

Sure, he could understand the desire to see his opponents move first but...

**-**An owl hooted in the distance.**-**

_This_ was just _ridiculous_.

Kisame was standing beside him, his eyes large and wide and dry from the effort of not blinking too much.

Itachi, well practiced at not blinking for long periods of time wasn't suffering as much.

"Itachi."

"Yes?"

"I need to blink."

"Okay."

Kisame blinked. A lot.

Itachi kept his eyes open the whole time, making sure he didn't miss anything their spectral opponent might do.

The ghost of Kimimaro was just hovering there, still holding that bone-sword in his hand. He just stared at them, his eyes never moving from their forms.

"I'm getting really tired of playing this 'glare-game'." Kisame muttered bitterly as his eyes watered. Itachi had to admit that even his eyes were beginning to get itchy.

But...he really didn't want to make the first move.

"Kisame...just hold out for a little longer okay?" he murmured.

Kisame whined pitifully. "But I need to pee!" he hissed.

Itachi couldn't stop himself.

He blinked.

And the ghost moved.

"Shit!" Kisame yelled, diving to the side as the bone-sword jabbed into the air his head had been moments before.

Itachi pushed himself to the side, his feet sliding along the ground and kicking up dirt and dust as he did so. He crouched, grit his teeth and launched forwards, hands reaching in his pockets for the small holy-water bombs Deidara had provided to him.

He threw one, his aim perfect. It reached Kimimaro's forehead and exploded just before touching.

A spray of water filled the air, and Kimimaro jumped back, his spirit-skin burning and boiling.

Kisame cheered from his spot on the ground, and Itachi smirked.

Both victory actions were brought to an end when Kimimaro raised his hands. Small, bullet like bones shot out, thudding loudly into the surrounding trees, ground and, with a loud screech, Kisame's foot.

"OW! He's using _bones _as _bullets_!" Kisame yelled.

Itachi's eyes widened and he ducked to the ground, three bullets whizzing over his head loudly. Kimimaro shot towards him, leaving a slight after trail of grey blur.

Itachi climbed to his feet in time to see a pair of burning grey eyes, and feel a very solid hand pressed against his chest. He grunted as a tremendous pressure pulsed through his chest and he was thrown backwards, landing painfully on the hard ground.

"ITACHI!" Kisame called, pushing himself to his feet and limping over to the raven.

Itachi groaned as Kisame helped him into a sitting position. "I think we were better off with the 'glaring-game'." He wheezed. Kisame grimaced.

"Sorry."

"It's not your fau-" Itachi cut himself off when he felt something rise up in his throat.

He twisted over just in time, retching onto the grass beside him. Kisame cursed from behind and Itachi grit his teeth, trying to will down the shaking.

'_Whatever that spirit did, it's not good._' He thought as another wave of nausea washed over him.

Kisame was rubbing his back, keeping his eyes on the enemy.

Kimimaro was gliding over the floor, a blank look on his face. He still held the sword, occasionally slashing through the air as if to test it. Kisame growled, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the protective charm.

He placed it in front of him and muttered a few strange words. The air around them shimmered as an almost invisible barrier formed.

"Itachi, are you okay?" Kisame asked once he was sure the barrier was stable. Itachi coughed a bit, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and nodded.

"Yeah, I think so." He murmured, sitting up a bit. He looked forward, seeing Kimimaro through the hazy air of the barrier. "We need to come up with a plan." He said.

Kisame snorted. "No shit."

Itachi glared at him for a moment before returning back to his target. '_Okay, think. He utalizes his bones as weapons. Judging from those projectiles earlier, he more than likely has an unlimited supply._'

Kimimaro slashed the sword near a tree, and after a few seconds the sound of creaking reached their ears. They watched in awe as the tree slowly slid down before crashing to a heap on the ground.

'_And it seems he can control the density as well. This could become a problem if we don't deal with it soon._' Itachi concluded.

He climbed to his feet, his legs feeling weaker than earlier. He cursed mentally. Whatver Kimimaro had dealt to him was affecting his bodies functions. He felt weaker and exhausted.

Leaning onto Kisame slightly to remain standing, he took a deep breath, letting it out slowly.

"So, what's the plan?" Kisame whispered.

"We have to use close combat with him. Judging from earlier, it takes some time to re-arrange his bones and extract them from his body. We could get an opening then." Itachi explained in a low voice.

Kisame groaned. "I hate the up close and personal battles." He whined. Itachi elbowed him in the side and Kisame sighed unhappily. "But, I guess I've got no say in the matter."

"That's correct."

"Bastard."

"That's what I've heard." Itachi smirked. Kisame grinned beside him.

"Let's go then, Itachi-san." He said lightly.

They broke out of the safety of the barrier, running full speed. Kimimaro turned his body, raising his left hand.

Kisame dodged to the right while Itachi went to the left, the bullets whistling over head and between them.

'_Now! He's open!_'

Itachi ducked low, pulling out another holy-water bomb. He knew it would hurt like hell, but he was focused on getting a good hit.

He pushed himself forward until he was almost beside Kimimaro before slamming his hand, palm-down, onto the spirits chest. The small bomb exploded, pain shooting up Itachi's fingers, but he didn't remove his hand. The water, with no place to really go, burst against Kimimaro and Itachi's skin.

Immediately, Kimimaro writhed as the skin around Itachi's hand began boiling and bubbling, slowly burning away to reveal the next layer of tissue.

Itachi grimaced at the more than disgusting sight and pulled his hand back, ignoring the stinging pain in his hand.

Kisame ran up beside him, stopping to watch in mild disgust and mild satisfaction as Kimimaro screamed soundlessly.

"Did we get him?"

Itachi watched as Kimimaro sunk to the ground, hands clawing at the burning skin. He smirked.

"I believe we did."

They smiled happily, turning to leave.

The air grew icy in seconds, causing the boys to freeze in their tracks. (Puns...you gotta love 'em! XD)

"Uh-oh." Kisame hissed.

The two swung around, only to see a blur. Dirst, dust and bone was tossed up around them, confusing them. They couldn't tell where the other was, and all sound was limited to coughs and hacking as dust poured into their mouths.

Itachi scrunched his eyes, trying to see something, anything, through the mass of dirt. He could vaguely make out a shape of what he assumed, and hoped, was Kisame.

"Kisame!" he called out.

"Over here!"

The voice...came from the left.

The shape...was to his right.

Itachi felt his breath catch when the shape disappeared. He spun around, aiming to run to Kisame when he was overwhelmed with pain.

The dust began to clear, revealing the scene.

Kisame had stumbled and fallen to the ground. He looked up, and his eyes bulged.

"No! _ITACHI_!"

Itachi stood, a look of shock and pain contorting his normally stoic face. He was glaring in front of him, his hands reaching up to his chest to clutch...at the handle of the bone-sword that was lodged inside his body.

He coughed, blood spurting out and onto the floor. Kimimaro's spirit stared at him impassively, his hands hanging by his sides almost lazily as he surveyed the Uchiha.

Itachi grit his teeth, trying and failing to pull the object out of his chest.

He could hear Kisame struggling to get to his feet, and glanced over at his blue-haired friend.

In that split second of broken eye contact, Kimimaro spun, bringing his leg up and delivering a powerful blow to Itachi's stomach, sending the raven skidding across the ground and coming to a stop a few metres away.

"ITACHI!"

Itachi felt heavy. He couldn't lift his arms and keeping his eyes open seemed much to tiring. His vision was already blurred and all he could feel was a creeping cold.

"ITACHI!"

"ITACHI!"

Kisame was still calling him, but he had no strength to answer. As the voice continued, he noticed it seemed to change from a deep voice to a higher one...one of a young child from his memory.

"_ITACHI-NII-SAN!"_

'_Sasuke?_'

* * *

_There was a loud crash, soon followed by a squeal of fright. Ten year old Itachi's head shot up from his book and he quickly jogged out of his room. Running down the hall, he followed the sounds of crying until he came to the nursery._

_Opening the door, he looked inside and gasped._

_The crib near the far wall had caving in on its legs, sending it crashing to the floor. Behind the bars, resting on the soft pillow was a tiny toddler, wailing in fear at having been tossed to the ground so suddenly, and so noisily._

_Itachi darted across the room, leant over the wooden bars of the crib and scooped the terrified child into his arms. "Ssh! It's okay, little guy. It's alright!" he cooed nervously._

_The baby only continued to cry, clinging to his shirt. Itachi swallowed, unsure of what to do. There came a soft sigh from behind him. He spun around to see his mother, Mikoto, leaning in the doorway and watching him with a soft smile._

"_M-mother!"_

"_He can sense you're nervous." She replied, nodding towards the tiny baby. Itachi blinked and stared down at the small thing._

_Rosy cheeks and pale skin clashed, along with a light coating of raven black hair. Itachi looked at his little brother and took a breath, knowing he needed to calm his nerves and be strong._

"_Hush now, Sasuke. I'm here. It's okay." He cooed again, rocking the wailing baby gently. Sasuke cried for a few more seconds before it slowed into a few light sniffles. Large onyx coloured eyes opened up and stared at Itachi._

_Itachi stared back._

_Mikoto smiled warmly at her two sons. "Good job, Itachi. Remember, babies are able to sense the emotions of those around them. When a baby is scared, it only makes it worse if the people around them are scared too. When Sasuke gets a fright, he'll want someone strong to latch onto and keep him safe." She whispered, patting both boys affectionately on the head._

_Itachi nodded, never taking his eyes off the innocent black orbs watching him. A tiny, chubby hand reached up and grabbed his cheek, pinching. He grunted as the hand pulled, spreading his cheek out._

_A delighted squeal erupted out of Sasuke's mouth as he made Itachi 'smile'. Mikoto giggled at her oldest son's expense. "He really likes it when you smile, Itachi." She said._

_Itachi blinked down at the child, before grudgingly placing a smile on his lips. Sasuke laughed happily._

"_Tach!" he squeaked._

_Mikoto and Itachi gasped at hearing the first word-like noise coming from the young boy. Mikoto smiles wide._

"_That's right. This is Itachi!" she said, motioning to said boy. Sasuke smiled innocently and tried again._

"_..'Tachi!" _

"_Close enough!" Mikoto giggled, utterly overjoyed at the fact that her baby was saying something. Her heart warmed at the fact that Sasuke's first words were attempts at his brother's name._

_Itachi was stunned, wondering why on earth the young child would want to say his name first. He was sure his first words were 'play with me now'. At least, that's what his mother told him._

_His father said it was more along the lines of 'serve me'._

_Somehow, he believed his father more._

"'_Tachi!" Sasuke called happily, slapping the older Uchiha on the cheeks to get his attention. Itachi blinked out of his thoughts and looked down at his little brother._

_A small smile made its way onto his face. "Hello...otouto." he whispered.

* * *

_

"_We will be gone for about three days. Make sure to keep an eye on your brother and get him to bed on time." Fugaku Uchiha ordered. The fourteen year old boy before him nodded silently._

_Mikoto frowned at her husband's strict voice. "Fugaku, dear." She subtly scolded. Fugaku glanced at his wife and sighed._

"_Take care of yourself, Itachi." He said, a bit softer. Itachi looked up and nodded again._

"_I will, father. And Sasuke too." He promised, determinedly. Fugaku smiled down at his son, patting him on the shoulder before heading to the car. Mikoto smiled._

"_Be good now, Itachi. And make sure both you and Sasuke have something good to eat! Also, don't let him watch too much T.V!" she called as the car started and rolled down the driveway. Itachi waved and waited until his parents were out of sight before heading back inside._

"_Sasuke?" he called._

_There was a smattering of footsteps before a loud battle cry was heard. Itachi spun around in time to catch the blur of black and blue that had jumped onto him from the nearby staircase._

"_Nii-san!" the blur called happily._

_Itachi held Sasuke securely to his chest, looking down at the boy. "Don't you think you're getting a bit heavy to jump on me like that?" he asked._

_Sasuke shook his head. "No. Nii-san is strong enough." He assured._

_Itachi sighed and walked towards the living room, carrying the five-year old in his arms easily._

"_What do you want to do?" he asked._

"_Can we watch T.V?" Sasuke asked excitedly. He hardly ever got to watch T.V. His mother said it wasn't good for him._

_Bah...what did she know?_

_Itachi nodded and let Sasuke fall onto the couch before taking a seat next to him and flipping on the big screen television. Sasuke watched the screen, his eyes wide and glossy and his mouth hanging open. Itachi observed his little brother, noting how his mother was right. T.V really did make Sasuke brainless._

_The show that was airing was one about ghost hunters. Itachi sighed, raising the remote to change the channel to some cartoons when Sasuke's hand shot out, snatching the remote from his hand. Itachi blinked at his now empty palm before slowly turning to his brother._

_Sasuke was clutching the remote to his chest, staring at the screen with rapt interest._

"_Sasuke?" Itachi questioned. The smaller raven shushed him loudly._

"_I want to watch this!" he whispered, never moving his eyes from the screen._

_Itachi raised an eyebrow but kept quiet. He turned t the T.V, watching in slight fascination as the crew explored an old warehouse that had been said to be haunted._

_When it got to the part where things began flying around on their own, Sasuke gasped loudly, slapping hands over his mouth and his eyes bulging. Itachi almost laughed at the overly dramatic expression. It was so unlike an Uchiha to show such emotion._

"_Nii-san! The chairs are floating!" Sasuke squeaked, staring at his brother in awe. Itachi smirked and nodded. _

"_Yes. It's because of the ghosts." He said seriously. Sasuke twisted around in his seat until his whole body was facing Itachi's, and he looked at the older raven intensely._

"_Are ghosts real?" he asked. Itachi thought about it, wondering what to say._

"_Well, I'm not sure. I've never seen one, so I can't say from experience." He said slowly. Sasuke looked disappointed and Itachi felt a pang of remorse. He could see his little brother loved the idea of ghosts, if the excited gleam in the younger raven's eyes as they watched the screen was any indication._

_Suddenly, his incredible Uchiha brain dinged with an idea, and he hid a smirk from his smaller copy. 'Time to make a call.' He thought.

* * *

_

"_Where are we going, Nii-san?" Sasuke asked, swinging his and his brother's hands back and forth as they strolled along the empty pathway._

_Itachi smirked. "You'll see. It's a surprise." He said. Sasuke grinned in anticipation, walking just a bit faster._

_Itachi hoped that his friend had gotten everything ready in time. He would hate for Sasuke to discover his little plan before it could take place. That would result in a very upset and angry five year old raven that Itachi really didn't want to have to deal with._

_Slowly the old warehouses came into view, and Sasuke gripped Itachi's hand a bit tighter. "Those are like in the T.V show!" he said. Itachi nodded._

"_I heard a rumour that there was a ghost. We're going to go and find it." He said. Sasuke looked up at him, his eyes wide._

"_You mean like the people on T.V?" he asked in awe. Itachi nodded._

"_I even brought a camera with me." He said, holding up the small video camera. Sasuke opened his mouth wide in a happy sigh, his eyes shining with excitement._

_He turned to the warehouses, his round face bright with determination. "We're going to hunt a ghost! We're the _Awesome Uchiha Ghost Busters_!" he cried, starting to jog forward a bit. Itachi chuckled, following behind his brother._

"_Awesome Uchiha Ghost Busters__?" he questioned. Sasuke nodded eagerly, dragging his older brother along._

_When they reached the large warehouse door, he paused, looking around. "Ne, Nii-san. It's getting dark. Are you sure we can do this?" he asked. Itachi nodded._

"_I also brought a flashlight, so we can see. And I'm going to be right beside you the whole time, so you don't have to worry." He said, holding up the object. Sasuke grinned and turned back to the warehouse, taking a deep breath before trying to pull the door open._

_Itachi watched in amusement as his brother pulled, pushed, scratched and did everything else imaginable to try and open the door. He even pounded his small fists on the metal, as if someone inside would open the door. Finally, when he had made zero progress, he sat down, crossed his arms and pouted childishly, glaring at the sheet of metal preventing his entrance._

"_Stupid door." He grumbled._

_Itachi laughed lightly at his little brother's antics before walking over to the large frame. He made sure his brother could see him before flipping the latch and...unlocking the door._

_Smirking at his brother's gaping jaw, he easily slid the door to the side with one hand and bowed dramatically. "Ladies first." He smirked._

_Sasuke puffed his cheeks out in indignation, but upon setting eyes on the spooky and dim interior, his anger diminished to be replaced with excitement._

_He carefully tiptoed into the building, pausing to wait for Itachi to come inside. Itachi slid the door closed before clicking on the flashlight and sweeping it over the room._

_Sasuke shuffled over and gripped his brother's jacket tightly, his eyes wide as they adjusted to the darkness. "Nii-san...how are we going to find the ghost?" he whispered._

_Itachi stepped forwards, Sasuke following like a shadow. "Well, we'll explore for a bit to see if the ghost will come out on its own. If not, then we can try calling to it." He explained._

_Sasuke nodded and together they slowly moved further into the warehouse, stopping to examine a, as Sasuke described it, 'suspicious object'._

_Itachi wasn't sure how a cobweb, a wrench and an old Hustler magazine were suspicious objects._

_Of course, he didn't let Sasuke really look at that last one. Instead he snatched it up and tossed it clear over his shoulder in one sweeping movement, his expression blank the entire time._

_They had explored most of the warehouse when Sasuke suddenly grabbed his hand, freezing._

"_Sasuke?"_

"_Shush! Listen!" the small raven hissed. Itachi perked his ears and indeed he heard a faint noise. Almost like someone coughing._

"_It must be the ghost." He whispered. He was glad the dark hid his face, for if Sasuke could see his triumphant smirk, it would surely have given the game away._

_Sasuke gasped, waving his hands for a moment before dragging Itachi towards the noise. "Let's go see! Let's go see!" he chirped._

_Itachi set the video camera to night-vision mode and recorded their steps. They travelled all the way to the opposite of the warehouse, passing storerooms and small offices as they went before finally reaching the last room. The newspapers had reported a fire in that room, and one person had died._

_Itachi had to admit his friend had been clever to use that room. It would be all the more convincing._

_When they neared the door, the sound of someone coughing reached their ears again._

_Itachi frowned at how realistically _painful _the noise sounded, and hoped his friend Kakashi hadn't made the disguise gruesome to see. He only wanted to entertain his little brother's current fascination with ghosts, not scare the living shit out of him._

_Sasuke slowly peeked through the doorway and stifled a gasp by slapping his hand over his mouth. He motioned frantically for his brother to look, and Itachi did._

_He blinked._

_At the other side of the room was a pale figure. It was a man. He looked to be quite old, with wispy white hair. He wore a very light uniform and was coughing into his hands._

_Itachi was wondering how Kakashi had managed to convince some old geezer to help them with his plan. Then again, his friend did have a way with words. He shouldn't be too surprised._

_Sasuke suddenly stepped into the open and cleared his throat. "Uh, excuse me?" he called, his voice higher than normal._

_The old man slowly turned around, revealing a gaunt face. He didn't say anything, but only stared at them blankly and coughed a bit._

"_You're dead." Sasuke said. Itachi saw how the small boy's hands were trembling, and he stepped next to his brother, placing an encouraging hand on his shoulder. Sasuke relaxed at the warm touch and continued. "You died a while ago, and you need to leave this place. Okay?"_

_The old man seemed to think about it, coughing a few times. Finally, he looked directly at the two boys and nodded. His mouth formed the words 'thank you' before he faded away into nothing._

_Itachi's eyes widened. How in the hell had Kakashi pulled that off? _

'_Must have been a hologram or something...' he thought, trying to ignore the feeling in his gut._

_Thankfully, he was distracted by Sasuke tugging on his arm. "I did it, Nii-san! I helped the ghost!" he squealed excitedly. Itachi smiled. _

"_And I've got it all on tape too." He said, holding up the video camera. Sasuke laughed in delight, and together they left the warehouse. After closing and locking the door, Itachi knelt down and let Sasuke climb onto his back._

_The slowly made their way back home, with Sasuke chatting excitedly the whole half hour walk back. Often the small raven would ask if it had been real, saying that he could hardly believe it. Itachi just smiled._

_By the time they arrived home, it was already quite dark, and Sasuke was tired, his eyes drooping. Itachi carried him all the way into his room and gently lay him down on his bed, pulling the blankets over him and brushing his hair out of his face._

"_Goodnight, otouto." He said softly and left the room, turning out the light as he went._

_Once downstairs, he sank down onto the couch and sighed, rolling his shoulder slightly. 'Sasuke's getting heavy. I should tell him to stop sneaking the cookies when mother isn't looking.' He chuckled to himself._

_His eyes swept through the room and a flashing light caught his eye. It was his cellphone. He had a message._

_Hoping it wasn't his father or mother, since they would be worried when he didn't answer right away, he flipped open the phone._

_He sighed in relief. It was only a message from Kakashi. He looked at the time of retrieval and frowned. It had been sent half an hour after he left the house with Sasuke._

_The same time they'd arrived at the warehouse._

_Wondering what Kakashi had wanted to tell him he clicked the 'read' option. His eyes scanned the words, but by the end they were huge._

_No. Way._

_He couldn't believe it. It couldn't be._

_The message read:_

_Hey Itachi. Sorry, but I've got a mid-life crises._

_I won't be able to pretend to be the ghost and I can't get anyone else to do it in such short notice. I can't make it today, but maybe tomorrow. _

_Sorry._

_Kakashi.

* * *

_

_Itachi ran as fast as his legs could carry him._

_His breathing was ragged and his legs hurt like hell, but he couldn't stop. He had to get home._

_He had to get to Sasuke._

_The entire morning, he'd had a bad feeling in his gut. Something was terribly wrong. He had tried to ignore it, saying he was just having one of those days, but as the day wore on, it only got worse._

_By the time school ended, he'd given in. He knew something was wrong and he knew he had to get home _now_._

_When his house came into view, his stomach plummeted. He could feel it. He could feel the evil arua surrounding his home. He knew something had happened._

'_Shit! Shit! Please don't be too late! Sasuke!' he thought frantically, pushing himself to go even faster._

_He ran up to his front door, and pushed through it, coming to an abrupt halt as a wave of freezing air and pure evil washed over him. He stumbled, feeling dizzy, but kept his balance._

'_Sasuke. Sasuke. Sasuke!' he chanted in his mind, reminding himself what he had come to do._

_Trying his best to ignore the feeling of dread, he ran into the hall and screamed "SASUKE! SASUKE WHERE ARE YOU!" _

"_ITACHI! IT'S MOM! SHE'S HURT!" he heard Sasuke scream from upstairs. His heart plummeted and he shot towards the stairs, taking them two at a time and ignoring the screaming protests of his muscles._

_He had to get to Sasuke. He had to protect his little brother._

_He sprinted down the hall and crashed through the door to his parent's bedroom, turning in time to see the white blur slashing down towards his baby brother._

_Sasuke let out a loud scream as a claw came towards him, his eyes shutting in terror. His scream was accompanied by Itachi's shout of "NOOOOOO!"_

_There was a painful burning sensation in his eyes, as Itachi stared at the thing about to hurt his brother. It was all going in slow motion to him. He watched as the claw slowly descended, almost mocking him with its speed. And Sasuke was screaming. And he was yelling. _

_And the burning in his eyes got worse to the point he was blinded by the pain. He saw flashed of red, then black, then white and more red. When it cleared, almost as soon as it started, the spirit was disappearing in a cloud of black flames. Sasuke was on the floor, his eyes still shut tight and still screaming._

_When the ghost disappeared, Itachi rushed forwards, pulling his terrified little brother into a strong embrace. He didn't bother to wonder how he'd destroyed the spirit. He didn't want to think about it._

_He just wanted to get his brother to safety._

_Sirens sounded loudly in the distance, alerting him that a neighbour had called the police, and maybe an ambulance._

_Hopefully._

_But when he looked up, past his brother's head, he froze. His mother's blank eyes stared back at him, lifeless and empty._

_He felt the tears well up, but kept them back, choosing instead to pick the sobbing child up into his arms and carry him downstairs, away from the scene.

* * *

_

"_How are you holding up?"_

_Itachi looked over the paperwork in his hand to see his old friend Hatake Kakashi sitting across from him, still reading the erotic novel he carried with him everywhere. He sighed._

"_Better. Sasuke's talking again." He said._

_Kakashi nodded, a smile behind his mask. "That's good."_

"_Hn."_

"_You know, Obito never used to use that noise. He always gave a _real_ answer. Why is it that he succeeded where every other Uchiha failed?" Kakashi asked seriously._

_Itachi smirked. "Because Obito was almost _always_ high on medication." He said._

_Kakashi chuckled. "Well, I can't argue with that. But it can be _really_ annoying sometimes." He said._

_Itachi continued reading the document, a frown marring his features. Suddenly, he stood up, scrunching the paper into a ball and tossing it across the room violently with a frustrated grunt. Kakashi was staring at him, his visible eye wide in surprise at the sudden show of emotion on the normally impassive raven._

"_Itachi...?" he began slowly. Itachi fell back into his chair and placed his face in his hands._

"_Sorry." He murmured. Kakashi closed his book and leant across the table._

"_What's wrong?" he asked seriously. Itachi took a breath, letting it out slowly._

"_The...the social workers...they want to take Sasuke away from me." He said, his voice strained._

_Kakashi blinked. "Wait, what? _Why_?"_

"_They say that since I'm still just a student, and am unemployed, that I'm not capable of taking care of him by myself." _

"_...Where do they want to send him? I thought you didn't have any living relatives."_

"_We have one...our great grandfather Madara."_

"_So, why not just go to him along with Sasuke? You have the choice to stay or leave, I take it."_

"_There's a reason we haven't kept contact with him." Itachi said darkly. Kakashi leant back, taking this new piece in._

"_What'd he do?"_

"_...He was the one who abused Obito." _

_Kakashi's face turned stony. "And the fucking social workers want to send Sasuke to _him_? What the fuck is _wrong_ with them?" he spat._

_Itachi shook his head. "I don't think...the social workers are the ones to blame here." He said carefully._

_Kakashi raised his visible eyebrow. "...Madara?"_

"_Yes. He's powerful. He's got tons of lawyers working for him. He didn't even get punished after the case with cousin Obito. He just got off with a warning while Obito's mother took him back. I'm more than certain that he's the one trying to get Sasuke. He's pulling the strings and manipulating the social workers in an attempt to gain guardianship over Sasuke." Itachi's face was twisted into a vicious scowl. "Like _hell_ I'm letting that monster anywhere near my little brother."_

_Kakashi entwined his fingers, thinking hard. "So, what do you need to do to convince the social worker's that you're more than capable of taking care of Sasuke?"_

"_The only real worry is money. My parent's owned the house, and it was put under my name after they died. However, the money they left is kept locked away until I'm eighteen. So for the time being, I've got no funds."_

"_But surely in this case, they can make an exception?"_

_Itachi laughed bitterly. "And once again, my great grandfather is pulling the strings. He's made sure I can't access that money ahead of time. He's planned this all out. He's desperate to get Sasuke, for some reason."_

"_So basically, you need a job and you need one today."_

"_Basically."_

_They lapsed into a heavy silence, both thinking. After a long moment, Kakashi cleared his throat._

"_Well...I...I do have...I do have an offer for you." He said, almost awkwardly. Itachi looked up and nodded for him to continue._

_Kakashi shifted in his seat, causing Itachi to raise a questioning eyebrow._

"_What is it, Kakashi?"_

"_Well...I've recently started up this new business...It's actually really successful, which is surprising considering what I do. I've only got a few other people and I'm looking for more. The pay is good because, like I said, we make quite a lot."_

_Itachi perked up. "So you want me to join?"_

"_Well..."_

"_Okay. What do you do?"_

_Kakashi avoided his gaze, and Itachi smirked. "Don't tell me it's a gay stripper service?" he asked, amusement tinting his voice.  
_

_Kakashi laughed. "No, not quite. But that _would _be an interesting side-job." He mused._

_Itachi chuckled before going serious again. "So? What kind of company is it?"_

_Kakashi sighed, looking as if he was about to drop an A-bomb on a poor, unsuspecting orphanage. "...It's a paranormal investigation and hunter service. It's called Rei-Senzai Inc."_

_The room went dead silent. Itachi sat rigid in his seat, his eyes blank along with his face. Kakashi waited nervously. He had hoped this wouldn't get to awkward. He was wondering if it had been a good idea to offer.  
_

_Itachi, meanwhile, was having an inner turmoil. He needed a job in order to keep Sasuke. But...he really, really didn't want anything to do with the supernatural. After all, the supernatural is what put him and his baby brother in this situation in the first place. He had so far tried to avoid all things ghostly, spiritual and paranormal, and hell, he'd done a bloody good job until now._

_But...He had no idea if he could find another, well paying job in such a short amount of time._

_He sighed loudly and wearily, laying his head on the table. Kakashi kept silent, watching his friend think to himself._

_Finally, Itachi looked up and gave a short, curt nod. "Fine. I'm in."_

_Kakashi grinned beneath his mask and held a hand out over the table. "Great. Welcome to Rei-Senzai, Itachi-chan."_

_Itachi shook his hand, scowling. "Don't call me that, Hatake."_

_Kakashi laughed.

* * *

_

"_I've got a new job."_

"_Hn."_

"_So you'll be staying with me."_

"_Hn."_

"_Don't you want to know what it is?"_

"_Hn."_

_Itachi frowned. 'Kakashi might have a point. That _is_ pretty annoying.' He thought._

"_Sasuke?"_

"_Hn?"_

"_Can you stop with the grunting? You sound like some sort of ape."_

"_...Fine."_

_Itachi sighed sadly. His little brother was so serious and cold. He was no longer the happy little boy he used to love. Itachi almost missed the surprise attacks Sasuke used to do. Sure, if the younger raven were to jump down the stairs and into him now, he might die, but at least it would be a quick death._

_Watching his baby brother's slow descent into asshole-hood was killing him slowly._

_They were sitting at the kitchen table, a plate of chicken strips, fried rice and stir-fried vegetables placed before them. Sasuke was eating his food mechanically, while Itachi watched him._

_When he was done, the younger raven carried his empty plate to the sink before nodding thanks and heading upstairs to his room. Itachi finished his food quickly, dumping his plate in the sink. _

_He would do the dishes later._

_Deciding he would check up on his little brother before going to bed, he quietly made his way upstairs._

_He knew Sasuke fell asleep quickly, so he didn't call out or make a noise. Instead, he eased the bedroom door open until the light from the hallways illuminated the room._

_His heart stopped._

_Sasuke was sleeping peacefully in his bed, his face calm. Hovering right above him was a pale body, a gaunt face and white eyes._

_It was reaching towards Sasuke, hands flexing slightly._

_The room was freezing cold._

_Itachi was rooted to the spot. He didn't know what to do. He glared at the white monstrosity, and everything slowed down._

_His eyes began to burn again._

_He glared harder, and once again the flashed of red, black and white occurred before the pain became blinding. _

_When his vision cleared, the thing was gone, a single black flame lingering in the air for a second before vanishing without a trace._

_Sasuke slept through it all._

_Itachi backed out of the room, letting the door shut by itself. His back hit the wall and he slid down slowly, his breathing slightly ragged now that the pain caught up with him. He placed a hand over his eyes, trying to calm the lingering burn._

"_...What is this?" he questioned to himself. _

_He stayed in the hallway for a while, before slowly making his way to his own room. _

_He needed to sleep._

_He started work the next day.

* * *

_

He blinked, looking around.

He was on the ground. He was covered in dirt and his chest was hurting like a bitch. He grunted, barely lifting his head to stare disdainfully at the bone sticking out of his chest. He grunted, reaching up and grabbing the exposed object.

The sound of someone getting kicked made him look up.

Kisame was a few meters away, running with a slight limp to catch the other person that was flying through the air.

"Gotcha!" the blue-haired man yelled as he caught the person.

Itachi scrunched his eyes, trying to see through the dust and darkness. He could make out crimson hair.

"Thanks." A new voice said. The person stood straight, raising their hands. Itachi saw they were holding to curved blades. He recognized those weapons.

They were the ones that had ancient inscriptions etched into the blades. Prayers, to be exact. They were used in holy sacrifice rituals in ancient times.

He blinked, watching as the newcomer twirled the blades, almost tauntingly before running forwards with a battle cry.

The pain pulsing through his chest brought him back to his reality, and he once again tugged at the offending item. It took three harsh tugs, during which his one-now-two comrades continued attacking Kimimaro, before the stupid thing relinquished and came out.

He coughed and grunted as the sword left his body and leant over to spit out the blood in his mouth. "Fuck." He cussed, glaring up.

"Itachi!" Kisame yelled upon seeing the raven climbing to his feet. Itachi raised a hand in acknowledgment, but kept his eyes focused on the grey spirit.

Kimimaro slowly turned to face him, eyes flashing in the moonlight.

Itachi glared and smirked at the same time. The longer he glared, the more profound the slight itching in his eyes became.

"No more playing around. This is over." He hissed.

His eyes began to burn.

* * *

**BWAHAHAHAHAHA!...and that's it for this chapter. So, how about that? Was it worth the wait? (I hope it was) **

**Well, I hope you all enjoyed the newest chapter! I really had fun writing the childish Sasuke. I had such a cute mental image in my mind of baby Sasuke *cooes and giggles* aw. Cute.**

**Uh, er...yeah, anyway. *clears throat* So, I'm not sure when the next chapter comes out, but I'll try to get it done soon! Please review, since they inspire me so!**

**Thanks again to all those that have been reviewing as we go along! You all ROCK-WITH-TOTAL-ROCKATUDENESS! (that is a compliment!)  
**


	15. Snakes and Scarecrows

**Waaah! I'm so sorry it took so long! *is shot***

**Ah dear, but this chapter just gave me trouble...and I have no idea WHY! *is shot again* Dammit, stop shooting! *is shot...again***

**Lol. Anyway, here is the next chapter my faithful readers! Sorry to keep you waiting!**

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed! *hugs you all and throws out yaoi cookies* YOU ROCK!  
**

**OHOHOH! Guess what? *smirk* I did a mini comic and put it up on deviant art. It features my lovely O.C's Kao and Kamurou and myself. I have no idea where it came from, but the inspiration hit, and I got onto Paint and did it! *is happy* If you'd like to see it (and get a hint of what they look like) then here is the link (remove the spaces) **

http: / juuria66. deviantart. com / gallery/#/d2x8tta

**But anyway, on the with CHAPTER! WOOT! ^(w)^**

**

* * *

Snakes and Scarecrows**

"_Take care of Sasuke. Keep that wound closed and keep him back. I'm ending this."_

Kakashi stood protectively in front of his two subordinates, allowing Sakura time to carry/drag Sasuke's limp form away.

He glared at the spirit of Orochimaru hatefully, already calculating the best way to go about it.

He knew what he wanted to do, but...to do it, he needed some time.

Some time to be perfectly still and safe.

But he also had to keep himself, Sasuke and Sakura safe.

'_This might be harder than I thought_.' He mentally berated. He waited until he was sure Sakura and Sasuke were far back before moving again.

Darting forwards, he reached up and brushed his hair aside, revealing his hidden eye.

A long scar ran down from his eyebrow to just below his bottom eyelid. It was a reminder of an event that had changed his life so many years ago. Although , they eye itself came from a later event, it was also a reminder of an equally changing situation.

'_I'll need about five minutes to get ready, and after that it's a matter of five seconds until I'm finished_.' He thought, pulling out a string of charms from his inside pocket. With expert skill, he twisted his arm in the air, causing the string to arc over the spot Orochimaru was currently hovering. The multiple charms attached to the string lit up, blinding him with the light.

He jumped back, immediately setting to work and concentrating.

His eyes opened despite the light, and the one usually kept under his hair was revealed.

The iris was blood red, and three comma markings were spaced evenly around the pupil. He stared at the spot he had seen the spirit and concentrated as much energy as he could to that eye.

After a few seconds, it began to itch. Gradually, as the light began to fade, the itch changed into a stinging burn.

'_This is good. Just a bit longer._' He thought, concentrating harder.

The burning grew worse.

But when the light faded completely, his eyes widened. Orochimaru was gone.

"Shit!" he cursed, spinning around at the presence he felt behind him. Orochimaru slashed through the air towards him, mouth open in a leer and a long, sickly tongue poking out. Kakashi jumped back, grunting with the effort. He managed to go about three centimetres before that disgusting appendage shot out, wrapping around his wrist.

He felt himself pulled off his feet and spun in the air. The wet, freezing feeling around his wrist stopped and he was flung clear across the room, smashing into shelves with a loud crash.

Glass shattered and unknown liquids rained down upon him and the floor. He coughed, his back stinging from multiple cuts and injuries.

"Kakashi!" Sakura's voice screamed. He snapped his head up to see Orochimaru flying towards the two teens.

He scrambled to his feet, his desperation to reach them in time causing his body to move faster. Orochimaru halted just before them, tongue swishing forwards and eyes glinting evilly.

Kakashi reached out, hoping that he would be able to grab him instead of having his hand pass through. His prayers were answered when he felt the icy feel of the dead beneath his fingers. He had caught a shoulder, and pulled back roughly.

Bringing his leg up, he struck Orochimaru in the side, knocking him away from the two teens.

Orochimaru didn't even flinch at the semi-physical contact. He could feel no pain, so that wasn't going to stop him.

Kakashi reached into his pockets, searching for another holy-water capsule. He let out an angry grunt at the fact that he only had two left.

He had already used his light charms, and they hadn't done more than temporarily halt the ghost's movement.

He glared at the spirit, his mind whirring. '_How can I get him to hold still? How?_'

He glanced over at Sakura, wondering if she would be able to help. His hopes for that were dashed when he saw her face.

She sat there, clutching Sasuke to her chest, but her eyes were trained on Orochimaru, nothing but fear visible in those wide green orbs. She was shaking uncontrollably, small whimpers escaping her mouth. Tears were beginning to stream down her face too.

She was paralyzed with fear.

Kakashi turned back to Orochimaru, feeling angry with himself. Why hadn't he brought more protection? Why hadn't he thought about the possibility of corporeal spirits?

His gut was telling him they weren't the only one faced with such a strong enemy. He feared for the rest of his crew, especially those that weren't used to being on the field this way.

'_Dammit. Dammit! Why the hell didn't I think this through! Everyone, please be okay!_' he mentally begged, sending prayers to every god out there to keep his crew safe.

For a moment, he and Orochimaru simply glared at each other, gazes calculating and challenging.

Then they both moved, darting forwards and exchanging fists. It was difficult for Kakashi, as that tongue was like another limb, wrapping around his waist or ankle, tripping him, gripping him and throwing him off balance. He knew he was wasting energy by fighting one on one, but what else could he do?

He had to keep Sakura and Sasuke safe.

"_Take care of my little brother."_

Itachi's voice rang clear in his head, and soon it was followed by another voice. One that he hadn't heard in years.

"_My cousins...my uncle and his family...they are the most important things to me. Please...promise me you'll look after them in my place. Especially the boys._"

His eyes closed at the memory of that day. He could still feel the rain on his skin and could hear the sounds of rocks falling, knocked loose by lightening or other means. His heart thudded painfully in his chest as the day came back to him.

It was so vivid.

* * *

_This wasn't supposed to happen._

"_Ka...kashi..."_

_This wasn't how it was supposed to happen. _

"_Kakashi...I can't move..."_

_He fell to his knees next to his friend, his eye wide and tearing. The other eye, the one that was missing, was uncovered, revealing the gaping hole. His silver hair was matted around his face as he gasped back the tears._

"_Obito..." he choked. _

_They had only been investigating the area. The rumours of ghosts outside the old abandoned hospital had spiked their interest, and they'd only wanted to check it out._

_They hadn't expected them to be true._

"_Obito! Stay awake!" sixteen year old Kakashi yelled. But the boy only coughed, his free arm reaching out to grip the boy's arm._

"_Kakashi...I have a favour..." he whispered._

_The first ghost had been fine. The ghost of a young female doctor with short brown hair and two strange tattooes on her cheeks. She had simply followed them, smiling at their conversation while hovering around, obviously enjoying the odd company._

_They'd called her Rin after seeing her nametag. She'd smiled and nodded._

_It had been fine._

"_W-what is it?" Kakashi asked. Obito somehow managed to smile._

"_My cousins...my uncle and his family...they are the most important things to me. Please...promise me you'll look after them in my place. Especially the boys._"

_Kakashi crept closer, shaking his head. "No! I won't have to! You're going to be fine, you understand me!" _

_Rin was standing behind them, looking sad and sympathetic. She placed a hand on Kakashi's shoulder, and he could feel it._

_It was freezing._

"_Kakashi...I want to give you something...before I go..."_

"_Don't talk like that!" Kakashi snapped. Obito chuckled._

"_It's not like you to ignore the obvious. That's my job...remember?"_

_Kakashi bit his lip to stop a sob from escaping. He glared around, looking for the beast that had done this. _

_The ghost that had caused the rockslide._

"_Rin...you're a doctor...you can do it..." Obito was saying. Kakashi looked back at his friend, only to be stunned that the ghost Rin was kneeling there, her hands hover over his face._

"_W-what the fuck is she doing?" he yelled. Obito smiled even as droplets of blood appeared around his uncovered eye._

"_She's going to give you my gift." He whispered._

_Kakashi blinked in confusion. "What are you talking about?" he hissed._

_The spirit of Rin turned to him, holding something in her hands that were surprisingly corporeal. Kakashi cried out in shock when he saw that his friend's eye socket was empty._

"_NO!" he shrieked even as Rin came closer. "No! Don't touch me!" _

"_Kakashi...take my eye...use it wisely." Obito ordered softly._

_Seconds later, Kakashi was screaming.

* * *

_

He heard, rather than felt the blow to his chin, sending him reeling backwards. He blinked even as he regained his balance, getting rid of the few tears that had showed up.

'_I made a promise. I have to keep it. I will keep it!_' Kakashi thought, and he dodged the next attack, jumped over the tongue that tried to sneak around his ankle, and punched.

His fist made contact with the icy exterior of Orochimaru's face, sending the ghost sprawling backwards.

Taking his chance, Kakashi stopped and focused, his eye beginning to itch and burn almost immediately.

'_I will not lose here. I'll save Sasuke, and Sakura and everyone else if I have to! No one is dying! Not again!'_

The burning grew worse, and he let out a grunt as it reached its peak. The air around him and Orochimaru seemed to waver and swirl, as if it was water that had been stirred by a strong whirlwind.

Orochimaru slowly raised himself, not even pushing on anything, he just rose up, and snapped his head to glare at Kakashi, yellow eyes flashing.

Kakashi smirked.

'_Too late._' He thought triumphantly as the space around Orochimaru literally began folding in on itself.

A brief flicker of surprise could be seen on the pallid features of the spirit, but it was instantly replaced with an inaudible snarl.

As Orochimaru twisted around, his mouth widening even further in a scream, the air caved in.

Kakashi felt the blinding pain, his vision going white, then red, and then grey before everything went dark.

He panted harshly, a hand clutched over his eye as he tried to regain his senses. The pain always left him feeling a bit weak and weary, hence his choice of avoiding the use of his eye.

However, it was with a hidden grin of satisfaction that he took in his surroundings.

A few feet away from him, was a slowly vanishing remnant of an arm. It belong to Orochimaru, however, it was dissipating into thin air now.

He sighed happily.

"Sakura, it's over now." He called. The girl was staring at him, her eyes still a little glazed from fear. However, upon hearing they were safe, she relaxed a bit, a relieved sob echoing quietly.

The sound of footsteps reached his ears, and he looked towards the narrow staircase that lead to the outside.

"Kakashi!"

He blinked. "Kiba?" he called.

The brunette appeared on the stairs, his eyes wide and his mouth cracked in a relieved smile. "Glad to see you're okay boss!" he called, his voice ringing out.

Kakashi watched as his employee stomped down the stairs, but he frowned upon seeing another set of feet. "Who's there with you?" he asked.

Kiba reached the bottom of the stairs and grinned. "He just wouldn't stay at the hotel. He was too worried about our favourite emo." He said cheekily.

Kakashi watched as the blonde stepped off the last step, smiling nervously.

"Heh, hey there, Kakashi." Naruto said, rubbing his neck.

* * *

Shikamaru sighed loudly.

"Troublesome." He grunted, shifting slightly. Ino helped him move a bit before returning her attention to Chouji, who was sprawled next to her.

A few feet away, Temari was fighting the spirit. And Shikamaru felt his pride shrink at how well she was doing.

She seemed to move effortlessly, her body curving and twisting to avoid would-be painful blows. Her grin never left her face.

And her skill with the large fan in her hand was incredible. She was able to whip it open despite its size and metal exterior as easily as she would a small paper fan.

With a grace that only she could possess, she would use the open fan to send another wave of shimmering air towards the spirit, causing it to writhe and falter under the power of the incantations sent through. And then, she would shut the object with a clang and use it to block an attack.

'_Basically, she's making us professionals look like absolute idiots_.' Shikamaru thought glumly. He was amazed at the fact that this girl was so skilled, and the desire to know where she'd learned this was eating him.

"Take that!" Temari yelled, once again sprawling the fan out and waving it powerfully through the air. The resulting rush of air hit the spirit directly in the face, and it reeled, arms flailing and mouth open in a scream that could not be heard.

The blonde grinned, landing lightly on her feet, and once again damaging the little pride Shikamaru actually had.

Temari glanced over her shoulder, seeing the dejected look on the-as she dubbed him- Pineapple's(because of his hairstyle) face. "What's wrong? Are your injuries really bad?" she aksed, taking time to saunter over to him and examine his face.

Shikamaru grimaced. "They hurt...but I don't think...It's something...that requires immediate attention..." he wheezed. '_At least, not yet_.' He added in his mind.

Temari nodded slowly, glancing over her shoulder. The spirit was still choking and flailing. "Wow, that Kiba kid was right. These things really do work." She said, staring at the fan for a moment in slight awe.

Shikamaru also studied the weapon. "How come...you're so skilled with it?" he asked suddenly.

He was surprised to see the slight dusting of pink on Temari's cheeks.

She laughed nervously, rubbing the back of her head slightly. "Well, I used to take karate lessons, so I'm not too bad with fighting." She said.

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. "That's not...what I was talking about. I meant...the fan..."

The blush deepened slightly. "..Okay, but you promise not to tell anyone?" she whispered. Shikamaru just gave her a look that said 'I'm-not-Ino'.

Temari sighed. "Well, when I was thirteen, I saw this girl on a T.V show. She always carried a really huge fan and did lot's of dances with it. She was really skilled, and it seemed like the fan was a part of her. I was entranced and wanted to learn it. So one day, Iruka-sensei and Jiraiya-sensei came home with a huge fan. It was a little bit lighter than this one, but still pretty heavy. They'd known about my fixation, and so they got it for me. I started copying the moves I saw the woman use, and found out it wasn't that difficult...for me at least." She added cockily. Shikamaru managed a sigh.

"Troublesome."

"Hey! You asked!"

"So, frankly, you're not some expert fighter or anything, you just happen to be good with fans."

"Well yeah...what, you were worried that we were more professional here?" she said slyly.

Shikamaru didn't answer, but it was enough for Temari. She laughed loudly. "Oh don't worry mister Ghost Buster! We're not better than you or anything. You just weren't prepared for these types of ghosts, according to Kiba. You didn't have the right equipment to handle them." She assured.

Shikamaru grumbled under his breath, but movement caught his eye. The spirit had turned to face them, and the sight left him feeling ill.

The ghosts face was melting. Literally melting.

His eyes were red as the skin around them began to sag. The corners of his mouth were dipping and splitting, and bloody gums were revealed. Teeth cracked and chipped, falling only to dissolve into nothing before even hitting the floor. Hair, already sparse enough, began falling, also disappearing into nothingness before it could touch anything.

Soon, the entire body of the spirit started melting and dissolving. Bones were revealed before crackling into the air, ribbons of veins and arteries were splayed out for a moment and the daunting image of a bubbling, melting heart was displayed like some sick horror show.

Ino clapped a hand to her mouth, her face tingeing green. Chouji swallowed thickly and turned away, not wanting to witness the disturbing occurrence. Shikamaru stared, wide-eyed and sickened, yet unable to tear his eyes away. It was as if someone was holding his face, refusing his mental wishes to turn away.

Temari watched it, a deeply disturbed frown on her face. "Shit...Kiba said these weapon things would work but...that's..." she trailed off, a shudder wracking her frame. Shikamaru, however, shook his head slightly.

"No. The weapons wouldn't have...that effect. The spirits would be weakened until the point they simply fade away. They don't...melt them." He said, swallowing deeply as a tendon and artery splayed out and wiggled in the air like a horrific octopus tentacle.

Ino spun around, gasping and retching into the corner. Chouji shuddered, still looking the other way.

Temari finally turned away, and in doing so blocked Shikamaru's view too. He felt relieved and used the reprieve to control his gagging. The strange music that had been playing throughout the entire ghostly fight had disappeared, he noted vaguely.

'_If I take that into account, as well as the odd way the spirit is disappearing..then it means.._'

"We won." He said quietly.

Temari raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? Of course we won. The guy is melting." She scoffed.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes, ignoring the slight pain it caused. "No...I meant that...someone must have...gotten rid of...the boss..." he said.

Temari blinked in confusion, but it was Ino who voiced the question. "B-boss?" she stammred, still facing the wall in case she needed to throw up again.

Shikamaru sighed. "With spirits like this...ones that have real bodies...it is usually because they are...connected to a really, really powerful ghost...That ghost's energy is what fuels their physical forms...as well as their strength..." he coughed, a few droplets of crimson blood dribbling down his chin.

Temari finished his train of thought, obviously catching on. "So, if the boss ghost is taken out, then the minions would also get killed?"

Shikamaru nodded once, a grunt escaping from his lips. Temari placed a hand on his chest, quickly withdrawing it at his pained hiss. "Shit, I think your wounds are getting serious now. You need help and fast." She said.

"Try contacting Kakuzu." Chouji offered softly. Temari quickly grabbed the small radio from the ground where it had fallen, mentally cheering it had survived all the attacks.

After fiddling with the dial for a bit to get the right channel, she clicked the button and spoke clearly. "Oi, Kakuzu-san? Hello, are you there?"

There was crackling sound before a low, smooth voice answered. "This is Kakuzu. Who is this?"

"Temari. Shikamaru's team was injured and needs medical attention. The other teams may also need some medics. Call an ambulance and help me get these two boys down." She called back.

"Okay then. We'll be there soon." In the background they heard the distanct sound of Hidan's gleeful voice scream "Lord Jashin strikes again!"

They ignored it.

When Temari looked over her shoulder, there was nothing left of the spirit other than a few, quickly dissolving rags. She bit her lip. "I guess this means the other teams are doing okay then?"

Shikamaru grunted. "Yeah...we should be okay now...I hope so anyway."

* * *

Kankuro slid down until he was seated on the floor, and rolled his shoulder. "Oi, that guy was good at dodging." He sighed.

Shino stood to the side, arms crossed. "No. You just have terrible aim."

Kankuro glared at him. "Is that any way to talk to the guy who saved your ass?"

"You did nothing more than give the ghost another target to throw around. I think you managed to get a total of three hits on him and the rest were aimed blindly." Shino deadpanned.

Kankuro huffed, crossing his arms angrily. "Oh yeah? Then explain how it is that the ghost is gone now? I obviously defeated it!"

"There is some other explanation." Shino said.

The two settled into a one-sided glaring match. Kankuro glared, while Shino simply watched him through his dark glasses.

Finally, a crackling sound broke through the contest, and Shino looked down at the small radio. "It seems they are working again." He commented, and pressed the button.

"Hello?"

"Hello! Is this...who is this?" A female demanded. Kankuro got up and snatched the radio away, ignoring the vein popping in Shino's forehead.

"Hey sis!"

"Kankuro? Are you okay? Do you need medical attention?" Temari asked.

"Nah. I was way too good for that little ghost." Kankuro declared loudly.

There was a pause before... "He dodged almost all your attacks didn't he?"

Kankuro turned to sulk in the corner. "Nee-chan, you're so mean." He whined. Temari snorted, the sound coming out loudly through the radio.

"No, you're just so predictable. But you're okay? No one is majorly injured?"

"No...we're fine."

"Good. I think you should head to the 'home base' or whatever. Let the other dude show you the way." And with that said, she signed off.

Kankuro sighed, turning to Shino and swinging the pole over his shoulder. "So, which way to our safe haven, oh great Sunglasses-Dude." He said sarcastically.

Shino moved from the wall, walking towards the designated room. "That's Sunglasses-Dude-_Sama _to _you_." He deadpanned.

* * *

Sasori stood, staring at the spot on the ground where a flute was slowly fading into the darkness. Beside him, the younger of the Kamuzuki twins, Kamurou, stood with his arms crossed, also watching the spirit's last remnant fade.

"That was...really disgusting." The boy said, his face scrunching up in displeasure as he recalled how the spirit's face had melted right off.

Sasori hummed. "Actually, it gave me an idea for another puppet." He said casually. Kamurou stared at him in disgust.

"You're worse than my brother! And he finds it hysterical to watch beheading scenes over and over again." He said, obvious disapproval in his voice. Sasori smirked, figuring he should talk to the older twin sometime.

"Sasori, un! The pretty music has stopped un!" Deidara came swinging past...literally swinging. Kamurou watched as the blonde swung a bit higher, his ankle still trapped in a tangle of branches.

"Shouldn't we get him down now? He was up there for the entire fight." He asked.

Sasori shook his head, not even sparing a glance to the blonde even as Deidara swung right in front of him, humming happily. "No. Not yet. I want him to suffer a bit more." He said calmly.

Kamurou raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah, you would definitely like my brother." He commented, turning to look at Deidara. "He doesn't look like he's suffering, though."

"Oh no, he's not now. All that's happening is he's getting high. As soon as he comes down, however, he's going to have the biggest migraine in the world." Sasori explained, a sadistic smile twisting his lips.

Kamurou sighed, muttering under his breath about 'Sadistic red-heads and older brothers' before once again to turning his attention to the suspended blonde. "Poor bastard."

"Mm. Say, where did you learn to wield a sword like that?" Sasori asked, pointing to the short blade Kamurou had in his hand.

The boy blinked, looking down at the blade and laughing sheepishly. "Uh well...Like I said, my brother's a bit odd. He's really skilled with these sorts of things, you know, knives and such? And well, he taught me a little of what he knows. But I'm nowhere near as good as him. I was lucky enough to get a hit in at all. But that's only because all this ghost could do was play music." He explained.

Sasori raised an eyebrow. "Just play music? I believe the forest wasn't like this when we first arrived." He said, indicating the many upturned and re-located trees and shrubs.

Kamurou looked around, a frown marring his face. "Hm, you're right. But still..."

"I CAN SEE ENGLAND, UN!" Deidara screeched excitedly.

Sasori smirked. "Okay, you can let him down now." He informed cheerfully.

Kamurou snorted, turning and grabbing a hold of the first branch. With ease, he scrambled up the tree, arriving at the few branches hat Deidara's leg was caught in. "Make sure you catch him, okay?" he called.

Sasori sighed, and held his arms out. "Here Deidara. I'll catch you." He called up.

Deidara, face beet red from all he blood, turned towards his comrade and let out an excited squeal.

"Danna! Danna's going to save me, un!"

Kamurou rolled his eyes. "Save him, he says. Yeah right." He muttered, setting to work and kacing through the branches, trying not to slice open the wriggling blonde's foot.

There was a crack, followed by Kamurou's shout of "Heads up!" before Deidara plummeted to the ground. Sasori, not expecting the sudden drop just yet, stepped forwards and held his arms higher.

At the last minutes, he foolishly remembered he was about two heads shorter than Deidara, and cursed out loud as the larger male squashed him.

"Fucking ow!"

Kamurou, from his perch at the top of the tree, sniggered evilly. "Well, karma does that to you." He called teasingly. From his place under the giggling blonde, Sasori flipped him the bird.

Pushing the blonde off of him, Sasori sat up, rubbing the back of his head. He heard Deidara stop laughing and snapped his head around to scold him for falling on him.

He didn't get the chance.

Kamurou was climbing down when he heard what sounded like a surprised squeak from below him. Wondering what evil Sasori had placed upon the blonde known as Deidara, he glanced down over his shoulder...and promptly fell out of the tree in shock.

Sasori stared wide-eyed into a pair of equally wide eyes.

The lips pressed against his were warm.

Kamurou landed roughly on a bush, the twigs scratching his arms, but he didn't notice. He was too busy gawking at the two men. "Holy shit!" he exclaimed.

Sasori pulled back, horror written plainly on his face. Deidara blinked, looking nonplussed.

The silence that followed was deafening.

And eventually, it was broken by a crackling sound.

"Sasori. This is Kakuzu. If you're finished up on your end, can you and Deidara come help carry some of the others? Second floor."

And then it was gone.

Kamurou pulled himself to his feet, swallowing.

Deidara blinked again as the last of the blood left his head, and then the headache hit him. He groaned, rubbing his eyes like a child. "Sasori...my head really hurts, un." He whined.

And then the explosion came.

"DEIDARA! I'M GOING TO FUCKING _KILL _YOU!"

"AAH! WHAT DID I DO _THIS _TIME, UN?" Deidara screamed, running away from the murderous red-head. Kamurou watched the two and scratched his head awkwardly.

"These guys are too weird..."

* * *

Hinata was so close to sleeping. She was lying comfortably across the large, soft body of Kiba's dog, Akamaru.

Said canine was relaxed, enjoying the feel of Hinata's gentle fingers combing through his fur. He had already taken care of the ghost, and so was simply obeying his master's commands and watching over the Hyuuga girl.

Hinata sighed, the soft white fur tickling her nose. Her wounds had mostly closed up, but they still hurt a lot. She twirled her fingers, massaging the dogs calf beneath her.

Suddenly, Akamaru went stiff, his head shooting up and his ears perking. Hinata stiffened, her eyes opening and peering around cautiously.

Akamaru tentatively sniffed the air once, twice, before barking loudly just once. Then his tail began to thump against the carpet, and he panted happily.

Hinata let out a relieved breath. Obviously, whoever was coming as a friend.

Footsteps resounded in the otherwise silent air, and soon there was light drifting over her.

"Hinata?" a deep voice asked.

She looked up slowly, the effort to raise her head very strong. "K-Kakuzu-san." She said feebly.

"Holy fuck! She's covered in more blood than a fucking fresh steak!" A loud voice exclaimed, making Hinata wince at both the pitch and the crude language.

"Shut up Hidan." Kakuzu scolded, slapping the other man across the back of the head.

Hidan cursed and rubbed his abused skull, but didn't say any more.

Kakuzu made his way over to the girl and bend down, giving Akamaru a quick stroke before checking over Hinata's wounds. "You'll need to see a doctor. I think the wound in your leg might needs stitches." He noted.

Hidan snorted loudly from behind him. "What, you're trying to get more recruits for your little stitch club?" he jeered, pointing at the stitch scars on either side of Kakuzu's mouth. Said man glowered at him, but didn't deign it a worthy insult to reply to.

Kakuzu was trying to think of what to do. They had been heading towards the second floor to find Shikamaru's group, yet finding Hinata in this condition, he didn't feel right about leaving her here.

She seemed to sense his distress, because she offered a small smile. "P-please don't worry a-about me, Kakuzu-san. I'll be f-fine here with Akamaru." She assured.

Kakuzu hesitated, before an idea struck him. He pulled out the small radio and quickly called a certain channel.

"Sasori? Are you there?"

"...UCKING KILL YOU! YOU HEAR ME DEIDARA!"

"...ORRY DANNA! I DIDN'T MEAN TO!"

"...ey, Sasori, or whatever. Someone's calling you."

Hinata blinked wide-eyed at the conversation they could hear. It seemed Sasori was throttling Deidara...again.

There was an impatient huff before Sasori's rather flustered and most definitely irritated voice was heard. "What do you want?"

"Hinata is injured. She's in the main cross hall on the first floor. Come and help her. The ambulance should be arriving soon."

Suddenly, Deidara's piercing voice rang out. "HINATA-CHAN! ARE YOU OKAY! WHAT HAPPENED?"

Kakuzu swore and dropped the radio in his surprise. Hidan had jumped a mile, rearranging his arms as if he was about to karate chop someone and staring at the small device on the floor as if it was speaking to him...which, in a sense, it was.

Hinata had flinched, but her fatigue prevented her from doing anything more than that. Weakly, she called out an "I'm o-okay, Deidara-san."

The sound of Deidara being strangled returned to their ears before a new voice, one which Hinata recognized as Kamurou answered. "Uh, we'll be there soon...I think."

Kakuzu sighed, picking up the radio and standing. He sent a nervous glance to Hinata, but she waved it away. "I'll be fine."

He nodded and continued his way. "Come on Hidan. Let's hurry."

Hidan followed after, sending a slight salute to Hinata in encouragement.

* * *

Neji watched in repulsion as slowly, the spirit of Kidomaru reached out a fleshless arm, the bone visible amongst the bloodied ribbons of veins, muscle and cells.

If Neji had been a lesser man, he was sure he would have thrown up at the sight before him. And judging by the sounds of gasps and retching, he could ascertain that Tenten was definitely not enjoying the show either.

There came a loud crash from behind him, and Neji turned in time to watch as Gaara carelessly tossed the last spider aside, not at all concerned by gooey substance leaking onto his arm from the dead monster.

"That was fun." Gaara said blankly, turning to face Neji. The Hyuuga suppressed a snort.

"Oh, I'm glad you found this nightmare entertaining. Next time, I'll take you to the house of horrors at the amusement park." He said sarcastically. Gaara blinked.

"So it's a date then?"

Neji did not splutter. The odd choking, spitting noise that emitted from his mouth was simply a new technique name he was trying to get the hang of pronouncing.

He swears it!

"Is...This is hardly the time for that!" Neji exclaimed, turning away to face the spirit again. He could only guess that someone had destroyed the most powerful spirit for this effect to have taken place. He had to admit, however, and _much_ to his damaged pride... that he might not have been as well off in this fight had Gaara not shown up when he did.

**-Flashback! (Fear me!)-**

"_What should I do?"_

"_You could start by dropping the hissy fit and actually fighting."_

"_What do you think I've been do-...huh?"_

_Spinning around to see none other than Gaara standing beside a now immobile spider, Neji wasn't sure whether he felt relieved or annoyed._

_Relieved because now maybe he was saved. Annoyed because...well...he needed saving, and a non-professional kid was the one doing it._

"_What are you doing here?" Neji demanded. Go for the obvious._

_Gaara tilted his head, examining the pole in his hand that was covered in a thick, gooey substance from being rammed through the spiders legs. After a moment of almost silent fascination with the substance, Gaara answered in his usual monotone voice._

"_I was worried."_

_Neji straightened, momentarily forgetting that yes, they were in danger and yes, his pride was damaged. Confusion was taking the front seat. "Worried? About what?"_

_Gaara stared at him, expressionless. "About you." He answered truthfully._

_Neji took a step back in surprise, his face heating up. 'Me? He was...worried about me? But...why? I mean, sure we spent the night talking and...making out..I still want to know where he learned to use his tongue like tha-NO! Bad thoughts! Focus!' he thought frantically._

"_Uh, why were you worried about...me?" he asked slowly. Gaara sighed, stalking over to him. Before Neji could do more than blink, Gaara placed a short, soft kiss on his lips and backed away._

"_Because I like you, idiot." Gaara replied._

_A faint voice echoed in the background. "What a wonderful display of youth!" but they ignored it._

_Neji could feel his face burning and he tried vainly to stop the flush from spreading t his neck and ears._

_He failed. Badly._

_However, while he was trying to assemble his quickly scattering composure, the remaining spider had decided to move._

_There was a strange his before Gaara moved to the left, avoiding the large hairy leg that came crashing down._

_Somewhere in the background, Tenten was trying to pull a dazed Lee to his feet, while at the same time brushing off smaller spiders from both of their bodies._

"_These things are everywhere!" she screeched, yelping as another spider crawled across her face before she swatted it away with a petrified whimper._

_Neji cursed, about to run towards her and help when a hand shot out and snagged his arm, pulling him backwards. He stumbled and fell into a pair of arms, but at the same time avoided the spider that had tried to squash _him_._

"_Stop being such a pansy. You take care of the ghost, and I'll deal with old daddy long legs over there." Gaara's monotone voice spoke into his ear, hot breath causing his face to reheat._

_With a dumbfounded nod, Gaara let him go and shoved him forwards a bit before promptly turning and charging at the spider._

_Neji felt rather disheartened when Gaara gave neither a warcry nor a witty phrase before he began beating the life out of the arachnid, dodging legs ever now and then before returning to his task of stabbing the giant creature._

'_He can at least show some emotion!' Neji grumbled internally when, even after a spurt of spider blood hit his cheek, Gaara didn't even blink but carried on with his attacks._

_Neji huffed-a very superior and dignified huff mind you- and swiftly returned his attention to the ghost in front of him._

_As he activated his Byakugan again, he felt the jade eyes on him and smirked. 'So he wants to watch me? Fine, I'll show him I'm no pansy!' he thought determinedly._

_Resisting the urge to A. Warcry and B. Give a witty remark... Neji charged forwards, fighting spirit renewed._

**-Flashback End (Praise the LORD! ^(-_-)^ )-**

Sighing, Neji crossed his arms and surveyed his comrades. Lee was finally able to stand on his own, but he still look terribly dazed. They would have to get his head examined. Wouldn't do for their monk to start spouting even more nonsense than he already did.

Tenten had a few scratches and spider bites, but other than the green tinge to her skin from throwing up, she seemed okay.

Gaara had a total of one cut. One. Cut.

And Neji had multiple cuts. And more than his fair share of bruises.

Something was wrong here.

"How come you were able to fight so well while us professionals were struggling." Neji demanded a little harshly.

Hey, he was humiliated. Let a guy PMS in peace, will you?

Gaara rolled his shoulder slowly before looking directly at the brunette. "Honestly...I haven't the slightest idea. Perhaps these weapons that Kiba gave us had some sort of special effect. Perhaps you guys wore out the enemies enough that it was easy for us to deliver the finishing blow with all our energy. Or maybe some higher power is writing this all out, changing the situation to create a suitable story that could be called interesting even if logic has long been hurled out the window." Gaara shrugged. "Who knows?"

Neji snorted. "Okay, the first two have some possibilities to them but that third one? I'm a man of fate, and I believe in higher forces and such, but that theory is just _ridiculous_. **(1)**" he chuckled a bit at the mental image.

Tenten had finally stopped gagging, and she stood straight, fixing her air a bit and looking at everyone. "We should...probably head to the home base for now. And report this. I have a feeling the others might have had similar experiences." She said slowly.

Neji nodded. "You're right. Let's go."

He took a step forward, but a sudden spike of pain up his leg made him pause and grunt. He'd been knocked about so much, and there was a large bruise near his ankle. And it hurt like hell every time he took a step.

Stupid bruise.

He glared at his leg for a moment, as if blaming it for everything. He was so busy glaring, he didn't notice the arms that sweeped low. Nor did he notice the amused green eyes.

It was only when he was, literally, swept off his feet that he realized Gaara was picking him up bridal style. "W-What the hell are you doing!" he yelled, his eyes going wide and his cheeks glowing red.

Gaara ignored him and started to walk down the hall.

After ten minutes of struggling and getting nowhere, Neji succumbed and relaxed in the red head's arms. "Don't get cocky." He grumbled.

Gaara's smirk went unseen.

* * *

There were hands on his shoulders. Comforting hands, he could tell by the gentleness of their touches.

And there were also voices. He could easily recognize one, and the other was familiar to an extent.

But his head hurt really badly, and his eyes were screaming in pain still. He needed to keep them closed for a moment longer.

"Itachi-san! Itachi!"

At the insistent calls of his close friend, he gave in and pried his eyes open with a low groan.

Kisame's worried face swam into view. When he saw Itachi was awake, a relieved grin split the man's face in two. "Holy shit you had me worried!" he scolded, but the fondness in his voice betrayed him.

Itachi managed a small smirk. "I live to add to your collection of wrinkles." He assured. Kisame laughed loudly, his tension draining at hearing his friends humour.

"Bastard."

"That's me."

Kisame smiled fondly, and helped the raven into a sitting position, all the while being careful of his wounds.

With gentle fingers, the blue-haired man unbuttoned Itachi's shirt and pulled the damp material aside. The wound in the pale chest was deep and bad, and would need medical attention soon.

"Don't worry, Itachi, you'll be fine." He murmured soothingly. Tearing the sleeve of his own shirt, he made a temporary bandage, and set about tending to the injury and wrapping it up. Itachi grunted lightly at the pressure applied, but did nothing more. When the make shift wrap was done, Kisame pulled the man to him in a hug.

"Don't ever scare the shit out of me like that again you asshole." Kisame ordered. Itachi smiled.

"I'll try." He muttered.

"Not to interrupt this most, touching and completely 'gay-for-your-best-friend' moment that you've got going on here, but my little brother is out there and I want to hurry up and check on him now that we're finished here."

The two men pulled apart to glower at the third member of their party. Kao stood nearby, one hand occupied with the double blades he held, and the other placed impatiently on his hip. His bright green eyes flashed with teasing amusement, but were quickly overshadowed by his concern for his family.

Itachi could sympathise. "You're right. I want to check on Sasuke too." He said. Kisame helped him to his feet carefully, before the three started on their way towards the mansion.

When they were close to the front door, the unmistakable sound of sirens met their ears. An ambulance was heading towards them, another one following in its wake.

Itachi sighed. "Kakuzu must have called them. It looks like we're not the only ones who had a rough time."

Kisame bit his lower lip. "Who do you think got hurt?" he whispered.

"Well, that Hinata girl was one of them" Kao said from behind them. The two men spun around, wide-eyed.

"Hinata was hurt?" Itachi asked. Kao nodded.

"When we arrived, she was getting throttled by some ghost before Kiba sent his dog to tear the fucker apart. I don't think it was life threatening injures though." The boy said, almost impassively.

Just then, the front doors opened. Kakuzu appeared, carrying a dazed Shikamaru in his arms. Behind him came Hidan, who was cursing loudly as he carried an unconscious Chouji on his back.

"This kid is fucking heavy! Why the fuck do I have to carry him!" Hidan demanded. Kakuzu snorted.

"Because I said so."

"You're a fucking dick, you know that?"

"Well, considering the fact that you've called me that five times since we began, I'd have to be as dumb as you not to get the hint."

"That's right you...wait... YOU ASSHOLE!" Hidan screeched as the insult caught up with him.

Itachi sighed. "So noisy." He complained.

"Shut up Hidan!" Kisame snapped, earning the attention of the two men.

Kakuzu blinked rapidly at the dark wound in Itachi's chest. "Shit, not you too."

Itachi smirked. "Surprise."

"Kao!" Kamurou came running from behind the two men, and immediately the two twins began examining each other for any damage.

As the brothers did that, Sasori came into view carrying Hinata. The girl was fast asleep, the fatigue from her fight having finally pulled her into the dark caress of unconsciousness.

Deidara was behind him. "Itachi-kun! Kisame-kun!...And...who's that, un?" the blonde inquired, pointing to the extra twin.

Kao scowled and ignored the question, his attention still focused on his little brother.

The ambulances pulled up, several medics jumping out.

Soon the front door became chaos as the injured members were assessed by medics. Temari, Ino, Kankuro, Shino and even Neji and his group showed up not long after, and the chaos increased as they were checked over.

The Hinata, Chouji and Shikamaru were loaded into the ambulances, but when the medics tried to get Itachi to lie down on a stretcher, he harshly told them to get away.

"I'm not going anywhere until I know my little brother is safe." He spat when another medic tried to push him down.

"Itachi, calm down. I'm going to go there now and find them. I'm sure they're fine!" Kisame reassured. Sasori came up behind him.

"I'll come with. Anything to get away from Deidara." He muttered, throwing a glare at the blonde who was in deep conversation with Gaara.

It was obviously one-sided, but that didn't deter him in the slightest.

Itachi scowled. "Then I'll wait until you get back." He insisted, and to show his decision was finally, he crossed his arms and sat on the porch, ignoring the pain in his chest and head.

Kisame sighed and nodded. "Fine, you stubborn bastard. Geez, now I know where Sasuke gets it." He commented. Itachi smirked briefly before his scowl returned.

Sasori was already walking to the back, where the entrance to the basement was. Kisame sent a last, scolding look to the Uchiha, before swiftly following the small red head.

* * *

Kisame struggled with the latch on the basement door. "Why. Won't. It. Open!" he grunted with each tug.

Sasori frowned beside him. "Move over." He ordered. Once Kisame had stepped aside, Sasori examined the doors. His frown increased. "The latch...it's not engaged. The door is unlocked." He noted.

Kisame paled slightly. "You don't think...?"

Sasori straightened up and took a step back.

"Try not to get splinters." Kisame said. Sasori snorted. The red head shot forwards, twisting around and bringing his leg down in a great arc. His heel collided with the wood, and it cracked under the powerful blow. The left door was jolted off its hinges, and there was a loud crash as it clattered down the stairs.

A wave of cold rushed over them.

"Shit." Sasori cursed and darted down the stairs, Kisame following right behind him.

They reached the bottom and skidded to a stop.

"Oh my God." Kisame breathed.

Sasori's eyebrows furrowed. "What in the hell happened here?" he murmured, his eyes taking in the sight before him.

Blood.

And lots of it.

* * *

**(1) – LOL! Aw, I couldn't resist.**

**Oooh, cliffies are so brutal! XD But it took me a while to get this right. And damn, it got annoying at times. I even wrote out a whole part, read it over and then deleted it because it was so NOT what I wanted.**

**Anyway, whatever. I promise you the next chapter won't take so long! Because I actually have the plan for it.**

**Also, a notice for all you fans... Rei-Senzai Inc. Is coming to an end. YES! There are only a few chapters left(maybe two or three at most). I know. Sad, right?**

**BUT! BUT BUT BUT! ...There WILL be a sequel. MUAHAHAHAHA! YES!**

**Thought I'd just let you know so you can have something to look forward too. :P**


	16. Waking Conversations

**Hello! Wow, this was posted earlier than I expected! Yay me! *grins***

**Anyway, There are two polls that I've got, but for now I'm focusing on one. It is related to Rei-Senzai, but it's kind of like a bonus thing. Please go and check it out! It won't take long! Also, once that poll closes, there will be another one which is related to the Rei-Senzai sequel, so you might want to vote on that when it comes out. Anyway**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed! You're all incredibly awesome! and I love you all! Special thanks go out to SilverXStarlight, Shinobi2491, NerdyBookLover, jtwsnw20, Asuka5271 and Soulwarrior12345! For sticking with me so far!**

**Okay then, here is the next chapter! I know quite a few of you probably groaned at the cliffie in the last chapter, so you'll be happy to finally know what happened to them!**

**On with the story!  
**

**

* * *

Waking Conversations**

He was warm. He was very warm and comfortable.

That was the first thing that registered in Sasuke's hazy mind.

The second thing that registered was the sound of a soft conversation going on nearby. Pushing away the edges of sleep that were tentatively licking at his brain, he perked his ears to catch the softly whispered words of the other people in the room.

"...been destroyed. Hidan took care of it after getting the location and description from Kiba."

"Good. With it gone, then there's a good chance all paranormal activity in that house will cease."

"Yes. You did destroy the strongest spirit. The others seemed to only be lingering because of the tremendous spiritual energy and power."

"Ah. That's most likely the case."

"So your theory?"

"My theory is that somehow, she got a hold of some of his corpse, and therefore she controlled him, and as an extension, she controlled the others."

"But she had no idea?"

"I don't think so."

Sasuke was, in ever essence of the word, confused. What were they talking about? Who were they talking about? ...Who was talking, for a start?

With more effort than he knew should have been necessary, Sasuke opened his eyes a crack. At first, everything was blurred, and it only made his head throb. But he hung in and waited for the edges to sharpen until his vision was reasonably cleared.

Through his lashes, he saw none other than his boss, Kakashi and his older brother sitting beside the bed he was in.

Why was he in a bed?

"Ita...chi." he rasped out. His brother's head snapped to him so fast, Sasuke was surprised the man didn't crack his neck.

"Sasuke! You're awake!" Itachi said, scooting closer and helping the boy to sit up slightly. Sasuke nodded, opening his eyes further to survey the room.

It didn't take long for him to realize he was in a hospital.

"What..." he cleared his throat, trying to get the rasp out of his voice. "What happened?"

Itachi sighed and looked over at Kakashi.

Sasuke did the same, and groaned upon seeing the man was reading his little orange porn book once again. "Have you no shame?" he asked.

Kakashi didn't even look up as he grinned and replied with a cheerful "Nope!"

Sasuke and Itachi both sighed. "He's hopeless." Sasuke murmured so that only his brother could hear. Itachi hummed in agreement.

Kakashi snapped his little book closed, but only after marking his place. He walked over until he was at the end of the bed and looked directly at Sasuke.

"How are you feeling, Sasuke?" Kakashi asked seriously. Sasuke looked up at him, wondering why both Kakashi and Itachi were regarding him so solemnly. '_Did something really bad happen? Did someone die?_' he suddenly thought.

"I'm...I'm feeling fine. Actually, now that I'm awake, I feel perfect." He said truthfully.

Kakashi and Itachi exchanged glances before turning back to him. "You're sure? No strange pain? No discomfort of any kind? No...unusual sensations?" Itachi asked slowly.

Sasuke regarded his brother carefully. Was there something wrong with him? Were they expecting him to go crazy? Had he been drugged?

"I feel perfectly normal." He assured. Then he offered a slight glare. "Why? What's wrong? What happened to me?" he demanded.

Kakashi sighed and leant back, tilting his head to stare at the ceiling. "I'm sorry Sasuke." He muttered.

Sasuke blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Do you remember what happened before you woke up?" Itachi inquired.

Sasuke lapsed into silence as he thought. "Hmmm...we were in the basement. We were searching for unusual things. There were plenty of unusual things there. Then Sakura was talking to me or something. Then she tried to kiss me." There was a surprised grunt from his brother but he carried on. "Then..." his eyes widened at the memory. "There was a ghost!" he said, looking up at Kakashi for confirmation.

The man sighed and nodded. "Do you remember what happened to you?" Kakashi asked.

Sasuke thought back to the night, recalling how he had moved to attack and then...then.

He raised a hand, cupping it over the spot the ghost had bitten him. When he thought about it, it sounded downright ridiculous. A ghost bit him?

But at the memory of those wicked yellow eyes, and the feel of fangs in his neck, he shuddered.

"He...It bit me." He whispered. Kakashi nodded, his visible eye scanning the boy carefully.

"You passed out soon after that."

Sasuke nodded, gripping the spot on his shoulder a bit harder. "What happened? Did we win? We must have won, we're here right." He rambled slightly. Itachi placed a hand on his shoulder to stop his musings.

"Calm down Sasuke. Yes, we won. In fact...everything is pretty much over now. We'll be returning home after we finish up the last few things." He said the last part cautiously, already anticipating a strong reaction.

Sasuke blinked rapidly. "It's over? In one night?"

Kakashi chuckled nervously. "Actually two. You've...well, you've been unconscious for two days." He said.

Sasuke paused, his eyes widening ever so slightly. '_Two whole days?_'

"Where's everyone else?" he asked after a moment.

Itachi shifted. "That's actually what we're waiting for. Shikamaru has three broken ribs and several other minor injuries, and he needs more rest. Chouji also got banged up pretty badly. Hinata was injured too." Kakashi supplied.

Sasuke took this all in. So three people had suffered. "But no one died?"

"Nope."

"Good."

"Although Itachi came pretty close!" Kakashi added cheerfully.

The room temperature dropped several degrees as Itachi glared pure murder at the man while Sasuke stared in horror at his older brother.

"W-what?"

Itachi quickly turned to him, giving a disarming smile. "It's nothing Sasuke."

"Oh of course not! You'll be fine. You took the sword through the chest pretty well, I must say. Only coughed up about one litre of blood." Kakashi said, nodding and grinning.

Itachi really wanted to kill the man.

Sasuke looked at his brother, only now noting the way he remained perfectly straight in his seat, as well as the odd lumpiness under his shirt. "Itachi?"

Itachi sighed wearily. "I'm okay Sasuke. The doctors have already done everything needed, and I'm going to be fine. And so are the others." Itachi assured in a calming voice.

"Well, that's only as long as they keep Naruto on sedatives." Kakashi added, once again using a sickeningly cheerful tone.

The explosion was instantaneous. Sasuke jumped up with a cry of "What happened to Naruto?" and Itachi jumped out of his chair, sending the small stool clattering to the floor as he began strangling the grinning man.

"I told you not to say anything!"

"Oh? I must not have heard."

"You did hear you just ignored me!"

"My, my, Uchiha's don't like being ignored."

"Dammit, he's just woken up! Are you trying to give him a heart attack?"

"Oh please. Naruto's right in the next room, I'm sure he won't do anything rash -"

The door slamming shut stopped their argument. Both men looked to see the shadow of Sasuke's quickly retreating form through the small window in the door.

Itachi groaned and let go of Kakashi. "You're an evil man Kakashi." He smirked.

Kakashi grinned. "What? Is it my fault if I want him to get a warm welcome?"

* * *

Sasuke reached the door, feeling his stomach twist in fear. What had happened to Naruto? Why did he need sedatives? What had he missed during the fight?

Taking a deep breath, he pulled the handle down and stepped into the room.

The sound of conversation dying abruptly met his ears.

For a moment, his eyes had to adjust to the mess of...colour... before a two loud shouts reached his ears.

"SASUKE!"

"DUCK-BUTT!"

Two pairs of arms grabbed him and yanked him further into the room, earning a surprised grunt from the Uchiha as he was embraced.

It took his mind a while to figure out that the two people hugging him were none other than Inuzuka Kiba and...Naruto.

"Sasuke! You're awake! Thank god! Do you have any idea how fucking worried I was?" Naruto demanded angrily, but there was obvious relief in his loud voice. Sasuke relaxed a little, realizing now that 1. Naruto was hugging him and 2. Kakashi was obviously bullshitting him...again.

"Dobe." He said affectionately. Naruto looked up at him and grinned.

Sasuke's expression however turned to shock as he got a good look at the bandage wrapped around Naruto's forehead as well as the large medi-patch covering the blonde's cheek.

"What happened to you?" Sasuke demanded, grabbing the blonde's face and looking at him closely.

Naruto blinked before his eyes grew a bit darker at the memory. "Uh...yeah..." he trailed off, looking to the side. Sasuke let his gaze follow and saw Kiba.

The brunette also had a bandage wrapped around his head, and there was a patch on his neck, right over his Adams apple.

Sasuke grew impatient at the silence between them. Both boys looked disturbed, and that disturbed Sasuke even more. "What happened?" he asked again.

Kiba sighed, rubbing his head in frustration. "Something bad, man." He started, eyes darting to Naruto briefly as they shared an understanding look.

Sasuke was having none of that. "Dammit, tell me what happened. Who hurt you? What hurt you?" he demanded again, staring intently at both of them.

Naruto sighed and pulled Sasuke down onto the bed. The raven sat back and quickly pulled Naruto into his arms, wrapping them securely around the blonde and placing a gentle, soothing kiss on his head. Naruto hummed at the attention appreciatively before he began.

"Well, we arrived to help you guys out, and me and Kiba were going to come to you..."

* * *

"_Hehe, hey there Kakashi!" Naruto said, rubbing his head._

_Kakashi looked at Kiba. "Explain." He said._

_Kiba sighed. "Well, the nut-shell version is, Naruto told me your plan, I realized that you weren't properly equipped to fight these ghosts, so I got some help and brought the right equipment. Then, me and the others split up, each person going to a different team to offer assistance. Naruto wanted to come to Sasuke, but since he's shit scared I came with him." He finished, ignoring the glare he received from the blonde next to him._

_Kakashi shook his head. "That's reckless Kiba." He said. Kiba grinned._

"_Of course! That's my style!" he cheered. Kakashi smiled._

"_You're such an idiot."_

_Kiba pouted, but it vanished. He looked around the basement, confused. "Where's Sasuke?"_

_Naruto was also looking around, worry visible on his slightly pale face._

_Kakashi turned around, seeing Sakura and Sasuke still where he'd left them._

_Sasuke was still unconscious, and Sakura was staring at Naruto, a slight disbelieving look on her face._

"_Oi! Sasuke!" Kiba called, suddenly spotting the raven. Naruto paled even further upon seeing the boy out cold._

"_W-what happened to him!" he asked, hurrying forwards._

_Surprisingly, Sakura moved over slightly, avoiding the blue eyes. Naruto didn't bother to think about her weird behaviour. She was a girl and girls were weird._

_He'd figured that out a while ago._

"_He was attacked by the spirit. But he should be fine." Kakashi said, eyeing the way the blonde gently stroked the hair out of Sasuke's face._

_Naruto wasn't convinced. 'He was attacked. By a fucking ghost! How is that not something to worry about?'_ _he thought._

_Kiba stood near Kakashi, looking at his friend with a grim face. "We need to get him help. The other's should be okay now, and by all rights there's probably already a few ambulances on the way." He informed._

_Kakashi sighed, unnerved by the fact that ambulances were needed for others beside Sasuke. "Alright, let's go." He said._

_Naruto stood up, planning on picking Sasuke up when Sakura looked up at him. Her green eyes widened and a small shout escaped her lips._

"_B-Behind you!"_

_Naruto whipped around, only to feel some ice cold slide across his chest before he was flying through the air and crashing into the wall with a painful crack. He gasped, falling harshly onto his stomach and feeling his chest tighten in pain._

"_Naruto!" Kiba yelled, already running towards him. Before he reached him however, there was a blur of silver and dark grey, and he felt himself flung upwards. He crashed into the ceiling, letting out a grunt as he felt the injury in his side reopen a bit._

_Kakashi rushed forwards, stretching out his arms to catch the falling boy. Kiba landed in his arms and he skidded to a stop. "Kiba! Are you okay?" he asked. Kiba coughed a bit but nodded._

"_Yeah. I'm good." He set the boy on his feet before running over to Naruto._

"_Hey, can you stand?" He asked, and Naruto nodded, already climbing to his feet._

_When he was reasonably straight, he gasped and clutched a hand at his chest. His eyes widened as something warm and wet seeped through the cloth and onto his fingers._

_Kiba swore at seeing the large red stain spreading on Naruto's shirt. "Fucking hell!" _

_Kakashi pulled the shirt up slightly and winced at seeing the long, deep slash across the boy's chest. As he examined the mark, a memory flashed in his mind of Kurenai being dragged down the hall._

"_Yakushi Kabuto." He hissed, realizing which spirit was doing this._

_There came a screech from Sakura as, just like Kakashi said, Kabuto's spirit appeared beside Kiba._

_The brunette flipped around, eyes wide and mouth open in a curse when Kabuto reached out, grabbing his wrist._

"_Ouch! Ah fuck!" Kiba yelled as blood began running down his arm. He struggled and blood started spurting through Kabuto's fingers from the movement before he finally let go. Kiba stumbled back, his other hand coming up to grip his wrist and halt the unrelenting flow of blood from the large slash._

"_Shit, Kiba!" Kakashi called, charging and trying to get the spirit away._

_Sakura stood up, being careful to lay Sasuke's figure down first, before rushing to Kiba's side. Taking her other sleeve, she tore through it using her teeth and set about wrapping the strip of fabric around Kiba's injured wrist tightly. "Shit. Shit!" she cursed as her fingers fumbled._

_Kiba grit his teeth as his head swam a bit. 'How could I lose so much blood already?' he mentally questioned, looking at the decent sized splatter of blood around him._

_Kakashi saw a punch coming his way, and raised his hand to block it. However, as soon as Kabuto's skin touch his own, pain shot up his arm and a large gash appeared in his arm, blood running down and dripping freely all over the floor._

_He jumped backwards, putting a good distance between him and the opponent. 'So his skin is like a scalpel? He can slice someone open just by running his fingers across them.' He noted, hissing as his arm stung._

_Naruto cough a bit, some blood pooling at the corners of his mouth. The ghost had cut deep, he was lucky his heard hadn't been sliced in half._

_His body was shaking badly, but not only from the injury. As he watched the fight before him, the familiar fear of ghosts froze his body. He felt paralyzed, watching as the object of so many nightmares moved in front of him. _

'_What am I doing? Dammit, they need help! Move! Move you idiot!' his mind screamed, but as always, his body betrayed him and stayed still._

_Kabuto was on the offensive again, getting even more hits in. He caught Kakashi's knee, and the man cried out as his leg caved under him, sending him to the floor. Blood seeped out through his pants, soaking the material and pooling on the floor as he gripped his leg. "Dammit!"_

_Kiba saw Kabuto coming and pushed Sakura away, an turned in time to dive out of the way. The hand that was reaching only skimmed the side of his neck, a thin trickle of blood left in it's wake._

_Kabuto looked around, his eyes raking over Kakashi on the floor, Sakura splayed against the wall, Kiba panting a few steps away and the frozen blonde near the wall._

_Then, those icy eyes found the still unconscious form of Sasuke, and a wicked leer pulled at the lips before he was on the move, running straight towards the raven._

_A shout tore itself from Naruto's throat as he saw the ghost running towards Sasuke, and before his mind fully registered, his body was on the move, jumped in front of the boy as Kabuto grabbed._

_Kabuto got a handful of golden hair, and once the brief surprise was gone, another smirk carved itself into his wicked face._

_Yanking the hair until Naruto was on his knees, Kabuto gained a look a easy conenctration._

_Naruto stared up at the ghost, fear and determination mixing in his body like some messed up cocktail. However, he was soon distracted the intense pain in his head. He screamed as a pain so fiery and strong spread throughout his head, mainly at the side of his upper skull._

_Kiba saw how a line of blood slowly appeared on the blonde's forehead and dripped down over his face as Naruto screamed in pure pain. The brunette gasped and started forwards, his only goal to help his friend._

_However, as he got close, Kabuto's other hand shot out, snatching a fistful of shaggy brown hair and yanking him down. He yelped as he was forced to his own knees before pain overrode all his other senses. Blood dripped into his eyes, over his nose and down his neck. He was sure it was going to leak onto the floor soon too._

_He was screaming, he knew that much, and it rivalled the pain in Naruto's voice as both of their skulls were slowly, but surely sliced open, one painful inch at a time._

_The pain intensified, and both boys felt themselves feeling faint at the loss of blood and the torture, before suddenly the slicing stopped and the hands in their hair disappeared. Naruto fell forwards, his mouth gaping open and blood still pouring down from the wound on his head. Kiba slumped, but somehow stayed on his knees, his vision blurred and his breathing shallow._

_He vaguely heard Kakashi saying something, vaguely heard the sobbing of a girl, but it wasn't long before everything went dark, and his body met the wet, bloodstained floor.

* * *

_

Sasuke stared at the two boys in shock, his arms wrapped limply around Naruto while Kiba sat a few feet away, looking uncomfortable.

Slowly, Sasuke turned Naruto's head until the blonde was facing him, and he reached up to tentatively run his fingertips over the bandages on his head. Naruto watched him carefully, wondering what Sasuke would say. After all, he had the feeling the Uchiha would not be happy to know that the he and Kiba had gotten badly injured while protecting him.

Sasuke kept quiet for a long time, absently tracing the bandage on Naruto's forehead with his fingers. His eyes were blank as he was lost in thought, but the two boys beside him knew to wait.

Kiba sent nervous glances towards his friend. '_I really hope he doesn't kill me for letting Naruto come in the first place..._' he mentally panicked.

When Sasuke finally spoke, it was so soft that neither of the two had been able to hear it. Naruto blinked while Kiba frowned. "What was that?"

"I said...thank you." Sasuke repeated, his voice a low murmur. Naruto's eyes softened and he leant forward, placing a gentle kiss to Sasuke's cheek.

"No worries." He assured. Kiba grinned, letting out a bark of laughter.

"Yeah man! It's all good!" he said.

Sasuke smirked. "Okay then." His expression grew angry. "Then I'm going to kick your ass Inuzuka."

Kiba's grin turned plastic as his eyes grew panicked. "W-why?"

"How dare you put my boyfriend in danger!" Sasuke growled, cracking his knuckles threateningly.

When the nurse walked in, she stumbled a bit at the sight of three boys wrestling. Sasuke was trying to strangle Kiba, Kiba was trying to hide behind Naruto, and Naruto was trying to push Sasuke back.

Needless to say, a few more injuries were attained by the three when lunchtime rolled around.

* * *

Kakashi was sitting very comfortably in a chair in the hospital cafeteria. His favourite orange book was wide open and his nose was buried deep inside its pages as his eye eagerly took in each word, the faintest tinge of pink on his cheeks and the occasional naughty chuckle cascading from his masked lips.

"You realize that you sound like you're plotting something evil when you do that?" a low voice said. Kakashi looked up and grinned.

"What makes you think I'm not plotting something anyway?" he asked.

Itachi smirked. "Good point." He pulled out a chair, sitting down carefully and settling his hands on his lap loosely.

Kakashi returned his eye to his book, but he no longer read. He could tell that Itachi wanted to talk to him about something, and judging by the aura around the younger man, it was important.

He didn't have to wait long.

"Kakashi, what do you know of your eye?" Itachi asked bluntly.

Kakashi sighed, snapping his book closed and laying it down. He laced his fingers together and stared intently at Itachi.

"Why are you asking now?" he inquired.

Itachi's face didn't betray any emotion. "Because my own eyes have been acting up."

Kakashi blinked in surprise. "They've activated? Since when?"

"Since the night my parents died, actually."

Kakashi scowled. "Why did you not tell me that?" he demanded softly.

"Because I was too preoccupied with taking care of Sasuke and keeping him with me to worry about some old clan legends." Itachi retorted smoothly.

Kakashi eyed him intently, taking in the rigid posture and the slight crease at the corners of Itachi's mouth. '_This is serious._' He thought.

A small, tired sigh left the man, and he leaned heavily on his elbows. "I don't know all that much. Obito only told me a little bit about it, but I'll tell you what I know. You may be able to figure it out a lot better and faster than I can." He said.

Itachi nodded, leaning closer. "Tell me everything you can."

* * *

Sasuke sat in his hospital bed, completely bored. He had been forced back into his own room after his little spat with Kiba, but his only regret was having to be separated from Naruto. He had every intention of sneaking over to the blonde's room as soon as he was sure the nurses were gone.

A devious smirk curled his lips as he thought of all the things he would do to help his boyfriend feel better.

Just as he was in danger of having to have a cold shower, he was easily distracted by something very unusual.

His ears were suddenly filled with a harsh hissing sound, as if there were millions of snakes slithering around him. He stared around, trying to find the source of the sudden noise, but the room was empty aside from him. And the T.V wasn't even turned on.

The noise grew worse, and he covered his ears with his hands, trying to drown out the frightening sound, but to no avail.

His head began to throb, and a small gasp escaped him as his body shook with tremors. He was so confused and he once again scanned the room, trying to figure out what was going on. A burning sensation started at the point where his neck met his shoulder, and it spread rapidly, licking up the sides of his face and down his arm.

He started panicking. '_What the hell? What the fuck is going on?_' and was on the verge of pressing the nurse-call button when footsteps sounded. The door to his room creaked open slowly and a voice, clear, sharp and angelic, pierced through the hissing, drowning it out in an instant.

"Sasuke?"

The noise, the pain, the tremors...everything went away at the sound of Naruto's voice, and when Sasuke caught sight of those large blue eyes, peering at him curiously, he felt normal again.

"Sasuke! What's the matter?" Naruto asked, noting the way the raven was clutching his head. He entered the room, shutting the door behind him and stepping towards the bed.

Sasuke lowered his arms, feeling unbelievably relieved that Naruto had come when he did. He reached out and pulled the boy towards him, pressing his lips against full pink ones.

It was a sweet kiss, and when they pulled apart, Sasuke couldn't stop the smile it brought about. "Nothing's wrong, Naru." He whispered.

Naruto smiled back and sat down; curling up into Sasuke's waiting arms quite happily. He raised a tan hand and lightly traced the raven's jawline.

"Teme." He said.

Sasuke smirked at the nickname and replied in kind. "Dobe."

They lapsed into a comfortable silence, occasionally sharing gentle kisses or whispered conversation of their thoughts.

Sasuke didn't even think of telling anyone about the strange occurrence from before.

* * *

The next few days passed by relatively quickly for Sasuke. He was kept at the hospital to go through a few tests to make sure he was okay, and they all came back with positive results, proving that he was indeed healthy.

Naruto was proving to be an extremely fast healer too, seeing as his wounds did not appear to be in any danger of reopening. Nevertheless, Iruka-sensei made the blonde stay for as long as the doctors said would be fit.

He also gave the blonde and the other orphans one of the biggest, longest, loudest and most frightening lectures involving many threats and promises of future punishment, but ending with Iruka close to tears with saying how proud he was and how happy he was that they were okay.

Kakashi took the opportunity in a heartbeat, sidling up to the emotional man and smoothly leading him away for a drink to 'celebrate the bravery of the younger generations' as he said.

Ino often sat in the room with Shikamaru and Chouji, never really contributing to the little conversation they had, but simply being there to assist them with simple things, like pouring a glass of water.

Eventually, Shikamaru grew annoyed at her silence. "You know Ino, if you want to say something, just say it now. It's not like you to keep so quiet and it's unnerving." He said one afternoon. Naruto, Sasuke and Temari were also present, the oldest Sabakuno sibling having come to check up on her 'charges' as she called them.

Ino shifted uncomfortably for a moment before she cleared her throat. "I...I just wanted to...I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused you guys that night. And thank you for protecting me the way you did." She turned to Temari. "The same goes for you, Temari-san." She added, giving a gratefull nod in Temari's direction.

Temari grinned. "Hey, no problem. And I'm sure these guys say the same. You're their comrade after all." She gave pointed looks to Shikamaru and Chouji, and the latter nodded.

"That's right Ino. There's no problem. You're welcome." Chouji said sincerely. Shikamaru just gave a lazy smile before closing his eyes.

Ino sighed, her shoulders relaxing a bit. She soon started up a conversation, proving to be even more chatty and eager than Naruto.

Sasuke smirked as he saw the slowly appearing vein in Shikamaru's forehead. '_Bet he wishes he'd kept his mouth shut now._' He thought, snickering evilly.

At one point, some of the other orphans came to visit Naruto. Sasuke was less than pleased when Sai showed up, wearing an incredibly large smile. Sasuke made sure to have his arms around Naruto at all times, and he kept up his protective guard as Sai sat across from them.

"Hello, Naruto-kun. Sasuke-kun." Sai greeted cheerfully. There was something a bit different about the smile though. It didn't seem...quite as fake as normal.

Naruto greeted the teen cheerfully, waving his hand enthusiastically. The two began talking about meaningless things, Sasuke occasionally adding a grunt of hiss to the conversation, but otherwise only observing. As he planned, his arms remained firmly wrapped around Naruto's waist, one hand trailing up to trace the scar on the blonde's chest through the soft fabric of his shirt.

Sai noticed the subtle caress and snapped his fingers. "Oh, I almost forgot, I drew a picture for each of you." He said, turning to reach into his bag.

Naruto hummed excitedly, and Sasuke raised an eyebrow warily. "It better not be some crack picture involving you and Naruto." He warned, but Sai only smiled.

Sasuke was taken aback at how...sincere that smile was.

"You can relax, Sasuke-kun. Actually, these pictures are probably some of my best work. And it's the first time I've been able to draw something with a deeper meaning behind it." Sai said, pulling out two pieces of paper from his folder.

The paper was very thin and light, and when held up to the light, it became transparent almost.

Sai handed each of the boys their own, and for a moment they stared at them, confused.

"Well...this one looks like Sasuke, but his arms are weird and missing bits." Naruto said, tilting his head to Sai in question.

Sasuke agreed. "I can see Naruto here, but it looks incomplete." He noted.

Sai grinned at them. "That's the point. I know this might sound incredibly sappy, but... well." He reached out, taking the two pictures back and standing up. With his back to the window, he held the pictures apart. "You see, the theme of these pictures was this. When apart, they are unfinished...incomplete." they nodded and his smile grew brighter. He then placed the two sheets of paper on top of each other and held them up to the light. "But when kept together, they are whole." Sai finished.

Naruto gasped and Sasuke stared in awe at the new image presented. When placed together and held up to the light, the picture became complete. In it, Sasuke and Naruto were side by side, Sasuke's arm draped around Naruto's shoulder and Naruto's head leaning lightly on Sasuke's chest. Smiles adorned each of their faces.

It was a beautiful picture and Sasuke felt himself smile. "That's amazing." He noted. Naruto nodded eagerly.

"That's awesome Sai! Thank you so much!" he cheered, reaching up. Sai handed the picture to him and sat back down.

Naruto held the picture up for both his and Sasuke's viewing, and Sasuke couldn't help himself. Sending a sly smirk over to Sai, he said "I never took you to be the hopeless romantic type, Sai."

Sai looked, much to the other's surprise, a bit bashful. He scratched his cheek with his index finger, a light hint of pink on his pale cheeks before he smiled sheepishly. "To be completely honest, I've been reading a lot of romance novels recently. When I saw the two of you together, it reminded me of the couples in the books, and I was inspired to draw that. I'm not sure why, but I'm glad you like it." He said.

Naruto grinned, his white teeth flashing in the light. "It's great Sai! Thank you." He said sincerely. Sasuke nodded.

"Yeah. Thanks."

The three boys shared content smiles.

"So...when are you two going to have sex?" Sai asked curiously.

The peaceful aura of the hospital was shattered by one indignant and one furious yell of "SAI!"

* * *

Itachi was sitting on Sasuke's hospital bed, reading a few documents regarding their requirements to keep the hospital from asking too many questions. He sighed. All it really required was a large sum of money.

He leant back, running a hand through his hair. He was alone in the room, since his little brother was off ravishing his blonde boyfriend in a supply closet somewhere, he was sure.

There was a sudden knock on the door, and he looked up to see a nurse looking in. "Uchiha Itachi-san?" she inquired. He nodded, standing up. "There's a phonecall for you." The nurse said, and motioned a phone in the hall. Itachi thanked her and took the phone.

"Hello?"

"Itachi? It's Kakuzu."

"Ah. So, did you find what I asked for?"

"Yes I did. It didn't take as long as I thought. We were pretty lucky we were able to get some details from the girl."

"Ah. So? What have you got?"

"Well, I did what you asked and..."

* * *

Iruka stared at the man in front of him, horrified. "Y-you can't be serious!" he exclaimed, standing hurriedly.

The man sighed and shook his head. "I am sorry, Iruka-san. But it's already been decided. The government cannot continue funding the Sarutobi orphanage after that incident. They don't think it's a safe place any longer." He said.

Iruka slammed his hand on the table. "And where are the children supposed to go if you shut us down?" he demanded angrily.

The man straightened up, his expression going hard. "There are several other orphanages around that have some space."

"This is madness! They are just children! They've grown up together! Separating them like this won't do them any good!" Iruka tried desperately.

"Oh? I think that after having one of their close friends murdered in their own house would be enough motivation for them to get away." The man said coldly. "This matter is not open for discussion, Umino-san. The Sarutobi orphanage is closing down. That's final." And with that, the man left the room, not looking back.

Iruka sank down in his chair, frustration boiling away in his stomach. '_What can I do? At this rate, everyone will be sent away. Most of the orphanages are out towards the edges of the country. They'll be so far away. And what about Naruto and Gaara?_' he bit his lip, frowning. Those two had just met important people, and now they were going to be sent away?

He groaned, burying his face in his hands. "What should I do?"

In the hallway, Tsunade and Jiraiya exchanged worried glances. However, when the ex-doctor left, there was the hint of a smile on Jiraiya's face. '_It looks like it's time for me to start that application._'

* * *

***hides behind O.C's* Don't hurt me! Ehehehehe *steps out cautiously* well, there we go. Yet another chapter.**

***sobs into Kao's chest* Waaaah!**

**Kao: Sensei? What's wrong?**

**Juura: It's just...there's only one chapter left! Waaaah! **

**Kao: Seriously? One chapter and it's over?**

**Juura: Well, two. The final chapter, and then a small preview of the sequel.**

**Kamurou: Oh, well then why are you sad?**

**Juura: Because! The first half is over! It's like watching my baby growing up and starting high school or something!**

**Kao/Kam: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .**

**Juura: . . . . Shut up. ¬.¬**

**YES! Next chapter is the last chapter. Then a preview of what is to come!...okay... I have nothing else to say besides... REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW!... *clears throat and gives puppy dog face* please?  
**


	17. One Story's End is anothers Beginning

***Throws confetti* Tis the Last Chapter! *sobs* Waah, my Baby is growing up! (I say growing since there's a sequel to come XD)**

**Well, everyone I'd like to thank you for sticking with me throughout this whole story! Everyone who reviewed, whether you were there from the beginning or not, your words and encouragement were what kept me going! So THANK YOU ALL! *pulls you all into a hug and sobs loudly* I can't believe it's over!**

**Warnings: Ah, there are no warnings...unless you count some fluff.**

**Disclaimer: Oh come on people, how many times do you plan on making me say this! Do you know how painful it is to continually remind myself, as well as you, that I have _no _onwership of Naruto? _None_ at all! It's painful!  
**

**

* * *

One Story's End is another Story's Beginning**

Kakashi sat in the comfortable couch in the Sarutobi Orphanage's lounge. His leg was still bandaged, but he could walk fine by now. The doctors were very skilled, and after Tsunade's extra care, he was perfectly fine.

Sitting to his right was Itachi. The Uchiha had also gotten extra treatment from Tsunade was looking much better. He was staring intently at the man across from them, his face blank.

On Kakashi's left sat Iruka. The brunette looked strained, often wringing his hands together. But Kakashi couldn't blame the man. After all, Iruka had told him everything about what was happening to the orphanage.

He sighed and turned to face their guest. "Chi Nagashi-san. My name is Hatake Kakashi." He began.

Chi Nagashi was a thin man. His hairline had receded a good amount as he aged, and there were wrinkles around his eyes. Although he wasn't all that old, only fifty actually, he had been through a great deal of stress and trouble and it had aged him prematurely. He was wearing a thin pin-striped suit and dark blue tie.

His eyes bored into Kakashi's, showing his strong will. "It's a pleasure, Hatake-san." He said.

Kakashi smiled. "Do you know why we called you here?" he asked.

Nagashi swallowed, looking rather nervous now. "I received a call from someone from your office. They said...they said they'd found my daughter." He said.

Kakashi nodded. "Indeed. Chi Dori, correct?"

Nagashi's face lit up dramatically, and he scooted to the edge of his seat. "She's alive? She is truly alive and well?" he asked, his voice tinged with a desperate hope.

Kakashi sighed. "She is alive yes. But I'm afraid your absence has taken a toll of her mental stability." He said.

Nagashi looked shocked. "What do you mean? My daughter is insane?" he asked, sounded horrified.

Itachi cleared his throat. "To an extent, yes." He said. When Nagashi focused on him Itachi continued. "It seems Dori suffered abuse from her aunt during your absence, and that slowly started to drive her to the edge. However, when her aunt and the rest of the family left without a word, Dori stayed, obsessed with waiting for you to return to her."

Nagashi covered his face, letting out a shaky breath. "She lied. Her aunt phoned me, and told me Dori had disappeared. She lied to me." He whispered.

Itachi and Kakashi nodded sympathetically. "However, Dori stayed here this whole time. When the Sarutobi's found and bought this place, they also found Dori living here and took her in. However, Dori's mentality had already deteriorated quite a bit." Kakashi said.

Nagashi straightened up. "How so? What did Dori do?" he asked quietly.

Iruka sighed, finally adding to the conversation. "She was very violent at first, often screaming and trying to hit the other children when they got to close. She would lock the doors to certain rooms, and would scream at us when we tried to enter." He shook his head sadly. "She was always saying we were thieves and monsters, and that we weren't welcome. I tried, as did the other caretakers, to help her realize that we had bought the house, and therefore we owned it. But she was convinced that we were lying."

Nagashi stared at his feet. "She was still waiting for me." He stated.

Iruka nodded. "Yes. And for months, even after she stopped attacking us verbally, she would wait in the music room, listening to a small music box and singing." He said.

Nagashi closed his eyes, a small smile playing at his lips as he recalled the music box he had given to his daughter before he left. "She always used to sit and watch me play piano." He murmured.

Itachi sighed. "Chi-san...what do you think of ghosts?" he asked bluntly.

Nagashi looked up, his face hard. "They are real. There are ghosts within this house." He said.

Itachi smirked. "Good. So you won't call us crazy when we say that we have seen the ghosts within this house." He said.

Nagashi's eyes widened. "They have shown themselves? No, that's not good. The ghosts here are violent. Very violent! You must leave if they have revealed themselves to you!" He said, but Kakashi waved his hand, indicating the man must calm down.

"You can relax, Nagashi-san. We have already taken care of the spirits." He assured. Nagashi gave him a sceptical look.

"Excuse me?"

"It's actually why we were brought here in the first place. Iruka-san and hired me and my crew to get rid of the spirits." Kakashi said cheerfully.

Iruka nodded. "And they have. Unfortunately..." he sighed sadly, "They also discovered that Dori was involved in the spirits activities."

Nagashi's head snapped up, his face going white. "M-my daughter?" he stammered.

Kakashi and Itachi both nodded. "She has already been the cause of one purposeful death, and the unwitting instigator of another, as well as harmed two other people." Itachi said bluntly, causing Nagashi to start trembling.

"M-my d-daughter k-killed someone?" he whispered, his eyes so wide they looked ready to pop out of his skull. Kakashi hummed.

"Yes. She intentionally killed a small baby, near the start of the orphanage. She used that child's blood to create a summoning spell, thereby empowering and resurrecting the spirits of this house. The second victim was not planned. One of the orphans here, Mizuru, was in the music room, and caused some slight damage out of anger. Since that room is almost sacred to Dori, the spirit's reacted to her anger, rather than her order. The two injured victims, a caretaker and one of my own employees, crossed her path and angered her. She set the spirits on them, perhaps intending to kill them, perhaps not." Kakashi let this sink in, watching as the man slumped further and clutched his head in horror. "We have already reported to the authorities, and they have decided to send her to a mental institution. We've destroyed the alter."

Nagashi looked up. "A mental institution? The authorities? I doubt the police would believe in a ghost story!" he insisted.

Itachi smirked. "Perhaps, yes. But we just so happen to have a contact who knows the truth in the police department. That is how we are able to take care of cases when a human is involved and is the culprit." He explained.

Nagashi sank back in his seat, realization that his precious daughter was insane washing over him. He gave a small sad smile. "I see. So the reason you found me and bothered to call me, was to allow me a chance to see my daughter off before she went away." He murmured.

Kakashi nodded. "I'm sorry, but it must be done. She is still unstable, and needs treatment. You will be allowed to visit her, of course, but it will be limited. I am sorry, Nagashi-san." He said softly.

Nagashi sniffed, wiping his eyes. He took a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling. "I never meant to leave, you know?" he murmured. The others kept silent and he continued.

"But after my wife's death, I could feel there was something wrong. At first, I was worried it was the house. Then I heard rumours that lead me to believe it was something more. I planned to leave, and just be gone for a few days to check it out, but a few days turned to weeks, which in turn turned to months and years. I kept in contact with my sister-in-law, asking how Dori was. However, every time I asked to speak to her, her aunt would give an excuse. 'She's doing homework,' or 'she's playing outside with the girls,' and I just believed her.

Then one day I called and asked to speak to her. Her aunt just sighed and told me Dori was gone, missing." He sniffed again, a few tears leaking out his eyes. "I was devastated, and I rushed back to the address her aunt gave me. I planned on coming here, but her aunt insisted that Dori had moved with them. She kept giving excuse after excuse to keep me away, and soon I believed her."

He ran a hand over his face, letting out a shaky breath. "Please...Let me see my daughter." He begged softly.

Kakashi stood up without hesitation. Itachi did the same, a little slower and finally Iruka.

The three said their goodbyes before leaving. Iruka went to where he had told the orphans to wait.

Dori was sitting on a stool, two doctors from the Konoha Mental Institution standing beside her. The others were a ways off, talking quietly amongst themselves. The rest of the Rei-Senzai crew were there too.

Iruka walked over to Dori calmly. She stared up at him, eyes blank and uncaring.

"Dori-chan...we have someone for you to meet." He said softly. She glared.

"More doctors for Dori?" she hissed, but Iruka smiled and shook his head.

"No. You'll be happy." He insisted.

Dori scoffed and crossed her arms. "No one will make Dori happy. Who could be there to make Dori happy again?" she asked coldly.

Iruka's smile didn't falter. "Your father, Dori-chan."

The girl went almost completely limp. Her arms fell to her sides, and her mouth hung open in pure shock. Slowly, she turned to face Iruka completely, and for the first time, the man saw what looked like hope and joy in her eyes. "Papa?"

"Yes. He's in there now." Iruka motioned to the other room.

Dori gulped, and took a few tentative steps forward. The doctors followed, but at a distance.

Dori stepped up to the doorway and slowly, cautiously peeked in. Her eyes widened and tears flowed freely as she saw the man she'd waited for for so very long. "P-Papa!" she sobbed.

Nagashi turned, feeling his heart explode at the sight of his little girl so big since the last time he saw her. He held his arms out and smiled warmly, his face wet with tears of sorrow, remorse and joy.

"Hello, Dori-chi!" he called. She sprinted into his arms, sobbing loudly and repeatedly calling "Papa!" as he hugged her tightly.

He stroked her hair gently, his tears running down his cheeks. "Sh. I'm here, baby. Daddy's here now." He said softly.

Outside, the rest of the people, excluding the doctors went outside, not wanting to disturb the moment in any way.

* * *

The pool looked cool and inviting. The late sun's rays hit the cool water, making it shine and appear to be made of glass. It was so still, not a sign of movement at all.

Naruto gazed into the depths of the water, easily seeing the bottom with crystal clarity. He had a lot to think about, and his mind was filled to the brim with rampant thoughts, all form of order having been shattered by the latest intake of information.

Iruka-sensei had taken everyone from the orphanage aside and told them the news.

Sarutobi Orphanage was closing.

He bit his lip. '_No. It's not closing. It's being shut down._' He thought sadly. A light breeze shifted through the air, creating the slightest ripple in the water. He watched as it slowly sunk back down before the water stilled once more.

He was upset, yes. The Sarutobi Orphange had been his home for as long as he could remember. Maybe not this house alone, but the name. He had been with the same people his whole life, and they were pretty much the only family he had.

And now that family was going to be separated. He knew, as well as the others, that the remaining orphanages had limited space, meaning they would not all go together. Also, the way the other orphanages were run was different.

Old man Sarutobi, who founded the orphanage, had had a different view of how to run it. That in itself had caused plenty of problems with the officials, but somehow the old man had held out. Even after he died, his son Asuma took over without a word of complaint and kept the orphanage going with the help of the others.

Naruto sighed, letting his eyes drift shut. Everything that had happened in the past week was so...life-changing. In the time frame of little over one week, he had found someone precious, had been faced with one of the most terrifying things-to him- and experienced a lifestyle he had never imagined he would.

And he found, much to his amusement, that he rather liked that lifestyle. He was still shit scared of ghosts. They would and always be one of his greatest fears.

But he had found a way to deal with it.

When he was with friends, with people he trusted, he could find the strength to face the fears that had plagued him since a young age.

He almost laughed at how simple it seemed, but thinking back he realized that every time he'd been faced with something relating to the spirit world, he had been alone. Locked in his room, alone in a hallway, or even here, sitting at the pools edge and listening fearfully as things went bump in the night.

He took a few steps forward, until he was right on the pools edge. His bare toes curled over the edge of the tile, and he stared out into the crystal blue waters, eyes reflecting the brilliant light that bounced off the surface.

It seemed almost magical.

His chaotic mind then wandered again, going back to right after Iruka broke the sad news to them. He had been on his way to see Sasuke, to hug him and tell him the story. He knew if he was sent away to another orphanage, his chances of seeing Sasuke again were slim, as the orphans weren't given much freedom, even at age sixteen.

No, the other orphanages kept you locked up tightly away until you were eighteen and finished school. If he went there, he'd have no chance of getting spare time to visit Sasuke.

However, before he had a chance to break the terrible news to his boyfriend, Jiraiya had jumped in his way and dragged him here to speak with him.

Naruto let his mind replay the earlier conversation, clearly remembering the shock he felt after hearing what Jiraiya had to say.

Jiraiya had given him an offer, and then left with the parting words "Think about it and tell my by tomorrow morning. It's your life, kid, so I'll let you make the final choice."

Naruto sighed again. Should he accept? What reasons were there not to?

He chuckled. There weren't any. Not one. The only thing that would make him decline would be the fear of the unknown. But he would have to face that, no matter what choice he made.

He grinned, repeating his answer loudly in his head.

With an excited yell, he leapt forward, flying over the glass-like water before splashing, clothes and all, right in the centre.

Things were going to be different. He knew that.

But they were also going to be better.

He was sure of that.

* * *

Gaara sat on his bed, looking around his room. '_No...This won't be my room for very long._' He thought.

A knock came at his door and he answered with a soft "Come in."

His siblings edged in and sat themselves on the edge of his bed, looking at him carefully. "You okay, Gaara?" Kankuro asked.

Gaara shrugged.

"Are you upset about orphanage?" Temari asked. Gaara studied her, seeing the concern in her eyes. He gave a stiff nod.

"A bit." He admitted.

Temari nodded. "That's understandable. This place has been our home for a long time."

Her brother's agreed silently, each staring off into the distance. Finally, Gaara broke the silence.

"So what is your plan?"

Temari sighed and smirked. '_I can't fool him. No matter what._' She thought amusedly. Straightening up, she grinned. "Do you remember that old work colleague of Dad's?" she asked.

After some thought, the two nodded. "Didn't he move overseas a year before Dad died? Isn't he in Germany now?" Kankuro asked. Temari nodded.

"He was."

Gaara raised a non-existant eyebrow. "Was? Past tense?" he inquired.

Temari chuckled. "He moved back about a month ago. He actually contacted me a few weeks ago." When Kankuro gave an indignant "Why didn't you tell us?" she shrugged.

Gaara sat a bit straighter. "What did he say?"

Temari grinned a bit wider, her eyes sparkling. "Well, it seems there was something Dad requested of him when they were younger, that he only remembered now." She said mischievously.

Gaara, being the smart boy he was, clicked almost immediately. He smirked. "Well, this is going to be interesting." He said. Temari matched his smirk, sharing an understanding look with her youngest brother.

Kankuro looked between the two, his head swivelling as if he was watching a tennis match. "What? Huh? What's going to be interesting? What are you two _talking_ about?" he asked.

Gaara stretched and jumped off his bed. "I guess I should go and say goodbye to Naruto." He said with a bored tone. Temari nodded, standing up.

"I should go and talk to Iruka-sensei." She said. The two walked out of the room, leaving Kankuro to stare at the doorway in utter confusion.

"WHY DOESN'T ANYONE TELL ME ANYTHING?" He roared, bounding off the bed and chasing after his siblings.

* * *

Sasuke sat on the low brick wall near the edge of the orphanage grounds. Itachi and Kakashi had just told the crew they were going to be leaving the next morning, giving them the night to rest up after all the drama. Sasuke still had trouble believing it was really over, but he didn't say anything.

A gentle breeze wafted through the air, ruffling his hair and the edges of his clothes.

He knew the real reason they were leaving in the morning instead of right then. After all, they' had plenty of time to rest while some of them recovered in the hospital.

He smirked. He should've figured Itachi and Kakashi would be softies and let them have an extra night to say goodbye to their new-found friends and, in his and Neji's case, loves.

His smirk faded. He hadn't seen Naruto since Iruka had dragged all the orphans away to discuss something with them. He had been sure that if it was something bad, the blonde would come to him immediately, but it had been two hours since then, and he'd seen hide nor hair of the boy.

Huffing, he squeezed his hands together and glared at the ground between his feet. He knew he was being a bit childish, but he didn't care. He wanted Naruto and he wanted him _now_.

A loud hiss startled him out of his inner tantrum and he looked around hurriedly. His eyes landed on a small, green snake that was slithering towards him, its beady eyes shining in the late night. He drew his feet up a bit, glaring at the thing.

The snake paused a bit, its tongue flicking out, before it continued on its way towards him. Sasuke scowled as it reached the spot his feet were moments before. '_Stupid snake._' He thought.

His hand unconsciously moved over to the spot near his shoulder, where he knew the strange marking resided on his skin underneath his shirt.

He was about to jump over the small creature and make his way back to the others when a bare foot came into view, swiftly kicking the snake away to the side where it landed with a very unhappy hiss.

"Get lost you overgrown worm!" Naruto called, kicking a stone towards the snake. It hissed loudly before slithering away into the bushes.

Naruto grinned. "Ha! No mere snake can defy my awesomeness!" he cheered. Sasuke snorted, rolling his eyes.

"Sure." He drawled. Naruto pouted a bit before he slumped onto the wall next to Sasuke. A loud squelch sounded and it was only then Sasuke realized the blonde was soaking wet, from head to foot. "What happened to you?"

Naruto shrugged with one shoulder. "Jumped in the pool."

"With your clothes?"

"I didn't feel like skinny dipping."

"But why'd you jump in?"

"I have no idea."

At this point, Sasuke had to wonder what had drawn him to someone that was, undoubtedly, an idiot.

"Dobe."

"Teme."

Naruto grinned, showing off his teeth while Sasuke smirked. They sat in silence for a bit, watching the sky turn darker.

"So, what did Iruka say?" Sasuke asked eventually, amazed that Naruto had stayed silent for so long.

Naruto's face saddened a bit. "The orphanage is being shut down." He murmured.

Sasuke snapped his head to look at him, his mouth open. "What?"

"Sarutobi Oprhanage is being shut down." Naruto repeated.

"Why?"

"The government says they can't fund us or some shit."

"That's total bullshit!" Sasuke hissed. Naruto nodded.

"Yeah, I know. But it's not just that. I mean, there's also everything that's gone on in this place, what with Mizuru's death and the haunting. Plus, the government has been trying to shut the orphanage down for ages, but have never had a good enough reason since the old man and Asuma-sensei kept everything in check and good." Naruto sighed. "Now they've found an opportunity and they're taking it." He said.

Sasuke scowled, cursing the idiots who had decided this. However, as the news settled, a more worrying thought took over. "What's going to happen to you and the others?" he asked slowly.

Naruto's shoulders slumped a bit. "We're being sent away to different orphanages. They're all really far off, almost out of Konoha completely." He said.

Sasuke edged closer and pulled the blonde towards him, uncaring that he was getting wet as he pressed Naruto against his chest. "What about you? About us?" he asked softly.

Naruto leant closer, snuggling into the raven's chest. "We'll be fine." He whispered.

Sasuke didn't question, although he couldn't see how they could be fine. It would become bear impossible to see each other if Naruto was sent to another orphanage, especially one that was so far off and followed a different protocol. But he kept his silence. '_I'll talk to Itachi later._' He decided.

For now, he placed a hand on Naruto's cheek, tilting the other's head and pressing his lips on Naruto's. The blonde responded immediately, opening his mouth and allowing Sasuke entrance as their tongues danced and massaged each other slowly.

A small moan slipped out of Naruto's mouth and Sasuke pressed closer, wanting to hear more. Their hands roamed, fingers slipping under shirts and sliding over wet and partially dry skin.

When Sasuke's thumb brushed over Naruto's nipple, the blonde let out a small gasp. Sasuke took the opportunity to thrust his tongue deeper, licking up the taste of the blonde and eliciting several more noises.

As their kissing grew more passionate, they slipped off the wall, crouching next to it instead. Naruto was pressed against it while Sasuke towered over him, resting between the blonde's legs snugly. The raven latched onto the tan next, sucking the pulse contently. Naruto wove his fingers in raven hair, titling his head to the side and closing his eyes with a soft purr.

Sasuke continued to mark the tan flesh, from the neck down to the collarbone. His hands roamed lower and lower, gliding over Naruto's stomach to the waistband of his pants. He curled his fingers inside, teasing the skin just below and smirking at the hitch of breath.

"Sasuke..." Naruto murmured, leaning forward and replacing the raven's smirk with a kiss.

It lasted for a while, and something about it froze Sasuke where he was, his hands refusing to move anywhere as Naruto gently moved his mouth against his. When the blonde finally moved back, he was smiling gently at the almost surprised look on Sasuke's face.

"Naruto..."

"Sasuke. We will see each other again, so stop worrying." Naruto said firmly. Sasuke blinked.

"How did you...?"

"You get wrinkles between your eyes when you start worrying." Naruto chuckled, poking the spot with his finger and smirking at the scowl he received.

"I do not get wrinkles." Sasuke said.

"Yes you do. You get wrinkles. Just like an old lady with saggy boobs." Naruto said, and then laughed out loud at the glare he received.

However his laughter soon turned into a moan as Sasuke finally regained the movement in his fingers and took revenge in a most pleasurable way...for the both of them.

* * *

Itachi sipped his cup of coffee, staring into space. It was nice and quiet. All the children, and some of the crew, were having dinner. Kakashi was flirting with Iruka, Shikamaru and Chouji were being smothered by both Temari and Ino, both girls seeming to have the crazy notion that the boys were theirs after the fighting. Neji and Gaara had snuck off upstairs to do something Itachi would rather not know about, and his little brother was outside brooding the last time he saw him.

Itachi closed his eyes, relishing the silence.

"Hey Itachi! You're little brother is busy molesting that blonde orphan boy in the garden." Sasori said as he walked in, closely followed by Deidara. The taller male was chewing a piece of meat, holding the remaining bit in his fingers.

Itachi sighed, already missing his peaceful moment. "Is that so?" he asked calmly.

Deidara nodded. "Yeah! I could hear the moaning from the front door, un!" he said seriously.

Itachi smirked. "Well, it seems my little brother has some talent then."

Sasori snorted, sitting down. "You two are so cocky." He said.

Itachi raised an eyebrow. "_Us_? I believe my little brother is the only one who is anywhere near a co-"

Deidara started choking, thumping his chest repeatedly. Sasori quickly reached over and smacked him hard across the back. Deidara lurched forward and coughed before taking a shuddering breath.

"Phew! Thanks Sasori, un!" He said gratefully, turning and smiling brightly at the red head. Sasori turned away.

"Whatever." He mumbled.

Itachi's eyebrow rose a bit higher as he took in the slightly red cheeks of the man. "Sasori, are you blushing?" he asked smugly.

Sasori cringed, especially when Deidara jumped up and moved to look at his face. "Sasori is blushing? Hey he is, un! Aw, Sasori-no-danna is blushing, un!" He cooed happily.

Sasori promptly kicked him in the face and Deidara went sprawling. "Idiot!"

Itachi laughed in his head at the two. '_They are quite the odd couple._' He mused.

"What's going on in here?"

The three looked towards the doors to see Kisame walk in, carrying a plate of food in each hand. He sat down next to Itachi and handed the raven one of the plates.

Itachi took it, murmuring a thank you before slowly tucking in. Kisame did the same.

The four sat quietly, their thoughts wandering. Eventually, Kisame sighed.

"So, why is everyone so quiet?" he asked, pushing his near empty plate aside.

Deidara shrugged. "Sasori's been in a weird mood since his grandmother called him a few minutes ago." He said. Sasori scowled.

"What's up, Scorpion?" Kisame asked, smirking at the name.

Sasori sighed. "My uncle, who's been overseas for years and years has come back and given us some odd news. My whole family is just a bit wired now, so I'm getting bombarded with calls telling me to come home and join the festivities or something. It's getting annoying." He said monotonously.

Kisame nodded and turned to the raven next to him. "And what about you?"

Itachi took a bite of his steak. He chewed it slowly and swallowed before answering. "I'm a bit worried about Sasuke." He admitted quietly.

Deidara looked upset. "If you're that upset about the fact he's jacking off another guy in the garden, then I can go tell him to stop..." he said.

Kisame sputtered on his food. "Jacking someone off? In the garden? _Sasuke_ is?"

Itachi chuckled. "No, Deidara. That's not it. I'm perfectly fine with Sasuke's current activity." He assured, ignoring the incredulous look he received from Kisame. His expression turned serious. "I'm worried about that mark on his shoulder."

Everyone fell silent, each one remembering the mark. They had all gotten a look at it while Sasuke had been in the hospital, and no one had seen anything like it before.

"We should ask Pein to have a look at it when he gets back." Sasori suggested softly. Itachi nodded.

"He's travelled more so he may have seen something." He noted, and the others murmured agreements.

They lapsed back into silence for the rest of the evening.

* * *

The next morning dawned bright and warm. Birds twittered happily in the treetops, swooping down every so often to peck at the ground in search of a good breakfast.

Sunlight crept through the windows, illuminating the dingy hallway of the third floor. Doors were open, revealing the near empty rooms that showcased nothing but some boxes, a lot of dust and a few spiders creeping along the floor.

The very last room of the third floor was also open and subjected to the bright rays of the morning sun. It was completely empty, the walls covered in a hurried coating of white paint. And the windows stripped of the boards once covering them.

On the second floor, the doorways to a multitude of bedrooms remained closed, the inhabitants still fast asleep, or else only now rising along with the sun. Even a certain insomniac was buried under his blankets, unwilling to greet the new day just yet.

In one of the bedrooms, two tufts of blonde and raven hair could be seen from under a thick orange blanket. An unhappy groan was heard as a ray of sunlight landed directly on a pair of tan eyelids, causing them to scrunch up.

Naruto twisted his head, inadvertently burying himself deeper into Sasuke's arms as he tried to deny his waking mind.

However, as the sunlight persisted and stayed on his face, he pouted and cracked open an eyelid.

"Someone should fire the stupid sun." He mumbled, glaring at the bright light sneaking from the opening in his curtain.

There was an amused and tired chuckle. "Only you would say such a retarded pun in the morning." Sasuke whispered, his eyes still closed. He smirked, knowing full well that Naruto was pouting at him, and he could only snicker at the soft smack on his arm.

"Shut up. It's too early for bastard-y wisecracks." Naruto yawned. Sasuke's smirk widened.

"It's _never _too early for _my _bastard-y wisecracks." He retorted. He received another smack, this one harder and laughed. "Alright, alright. I'll stop." He mumbled.

Naruto hummed and leant closer, letting his nose bump against Sasuke's chin. He felt so wamr and comfortable, wrapped up in his blanket and Sasuke's arms. He wished he could feel this way every morning, but his stomach flopped sadly when he realized that in an hour or two, Sasuke would be leaving, and they wouldn't see each other for a while.

He frowned, his brows furrowing as he tried to think of ways to talk to the raven until then. A soft his on his forehead snapped him out of his thoughts. Sasuke stared down at him through half-lidded eyes, having only just opening them to the morning.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked.

Naruto blinked slowly before sighing. "I was trying to think of a way to talk to you while we're apart." He murmured. Sasuke nodded silently, also starting to let his brain work.

"Do you have a cell phone?" he asked.

Naruto shook his head. "No." He murmured.

Sasuke bit his cheek as he thought. "We can send letters, and you could try to convince Iruka to let you call with his phone every now and then. Even if you call the office, I'm there every day and Kakashi won't mind." He suggested hopefully.

Naruto pressed closer. "I won't be able to talk to Iruka-sensei. But I'll try to call. I promise. And I will send letters." He said softly.

Sasuke went quiet, realizing what Naruto meant about Iruka.

The two lay there, delaying the moment they had to get up. Sasuke started stroking a hand through Naruto's hair, and they waited, sharing a kiss or two.

Finally, the door opened and Itachi stepped in. "Sasuke. It's time to get up. We're leaving in an hour." He said softly, knowing they were both awake. He left without another word, closing the door behind him.

Sasuke sighed and sat up, Naruto doing the same. They looked around, easily seeing Sasuke's bag that he had packed the night before.

Naruto leant against him. "I'm going to miss you." He murmured truthfully. Sasuke nodded.

"Me too."

They moved to kiss, their lips fitting together perfectly as they savoured the taste of each other, burning it into their memory. Sasuke held Naruto close, wanting to keep him for as long as he could.

Finally, they pulled apart and climbed off the bed, pulling their clothes on before latching into each other again in the middle of the room. They swayed on the spot slightly, mouths moving together as they conveyed everything they felt without words.

When that dreaded knock came at the door, Sasuke almost threw his bag at the wood, but kept it together.

Slowly, he drew away from Naruto, who folded his arms over his chest, as if to comfort himself.

Sasuke picked up his bag and started towards the door, allowing Naruto to follow after him. They walked together down the hall, down the stairs and out the front door.

The whole crew was waiting, along with Iruka, Gai, Jiraiya, Tsunade and Gaara.

Gaara stood close to Neji, speaking to him in low tones while the brunette nodded every so often.

Jiraiya was talking to Kakashi, Tsunade standing nearby and casting odd glances to the men. Gai and Lee were, well, being Gai and Lee. Cries of "Gai-sensei!" and "Lee!" were heard easily as the two embraced in what they thought was undoubtedly a show of _youth_.

To Sasuke, it looked more like something from a bad anime.

Walking with his hand on Naruto's lower back, he guided them towards the van that was waiting for them.

Stopping and letting Itachi take his bag and load it into the van, he turned back to the blonde. "I guess...I'll see you later." He said softly.

Naruto nodded, swallowing thickly. "Heh, yeah. Try not to pine too much." He said, attempting to grin.

Sasuke gave a feeble smirk. "That's my line, dobe." He said.

"Teme." Naruto retorted, his smile gaining a bit of sincerity. Sasuke managed a small one of his own.

They stood a few feet apart, staring at the ground awkwardly. It was only when Itachi placed a gentle hand on both of their shoulders that they looked up at him.

"Kakashi is talking to Iruka. He's distracted, so say your real goodbye's now." Itachi murmured and turned away. He hadn't even taken more than a half step before the two boys were holding each other, mouths moulded together in a last farewell kiss.

Breaking apart with a soft gasp, onyx stared into azure blue and a soft smile graced two pairs of lips.

"See you, Naruto-dobe."

"Yeah. Later, Sasuke-teme."

* * *

End.

* * *

**And so, this brings us to the close of the first Rei-Senzai Inc. Story. **

**I hope that everyone enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Once again, your reviews were amazing and wonderful for me. I dedicate this chapter to everyone single one of you!**

**I'm working on the first chapter of the sequel now. I want to gain a bit of a head start with the next one, so I'm afraid you may have to wait a bit for the next one. Sorry! XP**

**Sending much love to everyone ot there who read, faved, alerted, and reviewed this!**

**Also, I'd like to remind you of the poll on my profile! It'll be closing soon, so get your answers in quickly! And then another one is going to come out, and it's going to affect the sequel, so make sure to keep an eye out for that one!**

**Well, there's not much left for me to say. *stands in spotlight with microphone* Everyone! This is Juura99, telling you, with the cast of Rei-Senzai... THANK YOU, AND GOODNIGHT! *everyone bows as the curtain falls***

**:Preview will be out shortly:  
**


	18. Sequel Preview!

**A small preview for the Rei-Senzai sequel 'Possession.' It's kind of like a trailer.  
**

* * *

"Come on!" Harumi Satoko urged her two friends Tora Emi and Fuushi Nao. "Let's go!"

Nao grinned and knelt down, helping Satoko to remove the large iron lid that led to the sewers below the streets by the school.

Emi gulped, holding her flashlight over the dark hole. "Maybe we shouldn't do this." She murmured nervously, sweeping her orange hair behind her ears.

Satoko scoffed, her spiky brown locks falling loosely over her left eye. "Don't be such a wuss, Nao. We're just going to prove to those boys that those stupid stories are nothing but stories!" she said, already placing a foot on the ladder. Nao agreed eagerly, her bright purple hair swaying in the breeze.

"Yeah! All those guys were too chicken to go down here at night, so now we're proving that girls are awesome and that there's nothing down here." She said. Satoko climbed all the way down and Nao slipped in after her, an excited grin on her face.

Emi watched her friends disappear, her large green eyes fearful. "But it's dangerous down there! Even if the stories aren't true, it's still filled with rats and bugs and toxins and there are ledges and stuff! We shouldn't go down there!" she tried, but her only answer was a scornful laugh.

"Fine Emi. If you want to be the baby then you can stay up there by yourself and keep watch. We'll be back soon." Satoko called.

Emi gulped and sat down at the edge, listening as her friends started to explore, often calling out to make sure they're okay.

Satoko walked down a narrow pathway, a stream of foul smelling sewage to her left and a grungy wall to her right. She placed a hand over her nose and grimaced. "This place smells like ass." She complained.

She took another step, and a loud crunch caused her to jump. Shining her light down, she stared at the small smattering of animal bones that she had stepped on. She crouched down, looking at the skull of a rat in avid fascination. "That's so gross and so cool." She said.

Moving the beam of light around, she saw that there were several other litters of bones, some a bit fresher than others. She frowned. "What ate those rats? Could there be alligators down here or something?" she wondered, and snorted at the age old fairy tale. "Yeah, little Timmy flushed his pet gator down the loo." She joked, and giggled.

Standing up, she turned around. "Hey Nao! Come and see this!" she called.

There was no answer, and Satoko grumbled to herself before making her way back the way she had come. "Nao! Hey don't ignore me you idiot!" she called again.

"Satoko?" Emi called, her voice nervous.

"I'm fine, Emi! Nao's just being a dunce again!" Satoko called back and swiftly went after her purple haired friend.

She passed through a dripping archway, flinching and cursing when a drop of filthy water splashed on her face. "Ew."

She reached a large room, with several doorways branching out. She sighed. "Great. Where did that damn Plum-head go now?" she wondered. She took a step forward, and slipped as her shoe slid along something.

With a startled yelp she landed hard on her backside, the flashlight clattering out her hand and rolling a few feet away.

She groaned and sat up. "Ouch. Oh man, _please _don't tell me that was some shit." She prayed and looked down. She gasped.

There was a long, wet trail of blood, leading from where she sat down and out through one of the doorways. "W-what the hell?"

Stumbling to her feet, she snatched up her flashlight and followed the trail until the light faded into the darkness. "Nao?" she called again. There was no answer.

"Satoko! What's going on!" Emi called.

"I think Nao hurt herself! Hang on, I'm going to go find her!" Satoko called back.

"No! Wait, Satoko! Let's call the cops! It's dangerous to go any further!" Emi called frantically, already pulling her phone out.

"No way! If the cops catch us, we'll be in serious shit! Don't you dare!" Satoko called angrily. Emi paused, staring into the whole worriedly. She didn't want her friends to get in trouble, but at the same time she had a really bad feeling.

"But-"

"No cops!" Satoko called back sternly. She turned and began following the trail of blood slowly, letting it lead her deeper and deeper into the tunnels underneath the city.

She turned down passage after passage before finally reaching another large room with multiple doors. Here she stopped, staring at the large puddle of blood in the centre. But the trail ended. There was nothing, as if Nao had just disappeared.

Turning around, she was growing increasingly worried for her friend. "Nao? Nao where are you?" she called.

There was no answer, and she started to call louder, more desperate. "NAO! NAO CAN YOU HEAR ME?"

Suddenly, she felt something blow against her neck and froze, her eyes wide.

Turning slowly, so slowly it seemed time itself had frozen and sound had ceased to exist, Satoko looked over her shoulder.

"N-Nao?"

Up above, Emi knelt over the entrance to the sewer, listening intently for Satoko to call and say they were fine.

She jumped a mile and let out a shriek when a blood curdling scream emitted from the dark abyss.

Crawling to the edge, she cupped her hands to her mouth and called desperately. "Satoko? Nao?"

There was no answer, and fear churned in her chest. She tried again. "NAO? SATOKO!"

She froze, her face going pale when faintly, in the deep depths of the tunnels below, she heard what sounded like a roar.

"_SATOKO! NAO!_"

* * *

In a dark room with blue walls and minimal decorations no more than a few blocks away, Uchiha Sasuke sat upright, breathing heavily and clutching at the burning mark on his shoulder. He'd had another nightmare, this one involving more snakes, more spirits, and a screaming, tortured blonde boy with bright blue eyes.

'_Naruto._'

* * *

_Rei-Senzai Inc. _

_Possessed_

_Coming soon_


	19. AddOn 1 SasuNaru Additon!

***rises from grave* I LIIIIIIVE! *dramatic music***

**AAAAH! I disappeared! For so long! (well, long for me anyway)! *bows* I am so sorry to my readers who look forward to my fast updates...forgive me please... *bows again***

**Ugh, my only excuses are 1. shit happening in my personal life so my mind's been elsewhere and not on Yaoi (I know, gasp, shock and horror!)**

**and then reason B. is I'm currently suffering a severe case of WRITERS BLOCK! that fucking square menace is keeping my precious little plot bunnies away from me! I have no inspiration!...well, I have some inspiration, but I just can't get into te story, you know? Uuugh! Fucken writers block.**

**Anyhoo, Omw I ranted...shit...sorry. Ah, this is the reward due to the poll on my profile (it's not closed, duh but there's another one!) This is an Add-On for the Rei-Senzai story! MUAHAH!**

**The setting takes place in the orhpanage, and the time is before Mizuru's untimely departure (I love sugar coating! XD)**

**This is the SasuNaru version! There will be a few others, (the ones others voted for) but this was the highest voted, so it comes first. Yay!**

**ON WITH THE ONE-SHOT! *is shot*

* * *

*~Just A Rainy Day~*  
**

* * *

The rain was falling heavily outside, splattering against the window like millions of bombs, exploding into miniature droplets upon impact. There was a faint hum throughout the mansion from the rain hitting the roof and windows.

Most of the lights were on, despite it being only four in the afternoon. The large storm clouds were dark enough to hide the low coffee tables intent on colliding against your knees as you stumble your way around in search of light.

Sasuke was sitting on one of the couches in the living room, watching with amusement as Shikamaru was bothered by the small girl Rai Kiri. She was constantly asking questions, and would not stop bugging him until he answered. Sasuke found the slight twitch in the lazy boy's jaw very interesting.

"And what does that button do?" Kiri asked, drawing out the 'o' in 'do' and pointing at it. Sasuke held back his snort as he saw Shikamaru take the time to glare at the girl, but she was too engrossed with the multiple buttons to notice.

"That turns it off." Shikamaru groaned, placing a hand over his eyes. He wasn't meant to deal with children.

Kiri opened her mouth to ask yet another question, but before she could someone clapped their hands near the doorway, and Asume stepped into view. "Come now, Kiri-chan, let the man work." He scolded lightly.

Kiri nodded, and left with a dejected "Okay, Sensei."

Shikamaru promptly let his head fall down onto the desk. "Sasuke...never let me have kids." He mumbled.

Sasuke nodded. "Too troublesome?"

"Way. Too. _Troublesome_." The lazy boy said slowly.

Sasuke snickered at the boy's misfortune, and glanced at the time. Naruto would be finished his chores in a few moments, so he would go to meet the blonde. While he was walking towards the door, he saw Asuma take a seat next to Shikamaru, looking at the multiple electric devices.

"...So what does this button do?" Asuma asked.

Sasuke laughed out loud as he heard Shikamaru's incredulous voice ask "Are you shitting me?"

* * *

He walked through the halls slowly, passing room after room. Most of the orphans has finished their chores and afternoon tasks, and were now enjoying themselves as they pleased. Sasuke had to duck to the side when Kage Mane and Gat Tsuuga came barrelling down the hall, a furious Shizune on their tails as she screamed "Don't run in the halls!" to which the boys only laughed.

Sasuke stared as the pink pig Shizune usually carried came trotting after them, snorting loudly before it too turned the corner. He stared at the spot it disappeared before shaking his head and continuing.

This place was weird.

He passed a door that was barely closed, and paused when he heard a light gasp. Tilting his head ever so slightly, he listened as there was another gasp, followed by a soft, wet noise.

Feeling nervous, he stepped back and peeked through the crack in the door. He only saw the back of Neji's head, and red hair peeking over his shoulder before there was a breathy whisper of "G-Gaara..." and Sasuke was striding down the hall, his face blank as he fought the blush down.

'_The hell, Hyuuga_?' he thought.

He passed Shino and Hinata, who were talking quietly as they went, they nodded to him and he did the same. He passed another room where Kakashi was flirting shamelessly with an oblivious Iruka, who answered politely to each of his questions.

"..What's your favourite position?" Kakashi's voice said.

Sasuke gagged and hurried onwards. '_That's just wrong..._'

He continued on his way, passing room after room, but he couldn't find his blonde. He saw Sakura and Ino who immediately tried to latch onto him. He only managed to save himself by calling for Lee, who was near at the time and telling a bullshit tale of how Sakura had something for him to do. While Lee managed harassed-unintentionally of course- the pinkette and her blonde friend, Sasuke slid away with the shadows, breathing a sigh of relief when he was safe. He also passed Itachi, who was busy looking at some papers of some order.

In one room, he saw Chouji and Tenten arguing over the obese boy's habit of eating during every second of the day. He saw Kankuro and Temari playing some game or another, in which Temari lost and promptly started swatting Kankuro and calling him a cheat.

He passed Sora and Mizuru, making out in a store room. He swiftly ran past, not wanting to witness that.

He must have passed almost everyone in the orphanage, but still not could not locate his blonde.

"Dammit, dobe. Where the hell are you?" he grumbled, standing at the staircase and looking around.

"Who're you looking for?" a soft voice asked. Sasuke turned around, and saw the small boy Junkyo standing there.

"I'm looking for Naruto." Sasuke answered. "Do you know where he is?"

Junkyo blinked and took a moment to answer, seeming to consider his options. "He's in the kitchen. He was clumsy and made a huge mess, so Iruka-sensei made him stay behind to clean it. I think the Twins are also there. The kitchen is down the hall, the eighth door to the left." And with that, Junkyo walked away.

Sasuke turned and headed the way he was directed, wondering what sort of mess Naruto had made. An image of the blonde covered in cream and blushing furiously filled his mind, and Sasuke froze.

With a groan, he walked over to the wall and hit his head against it a few times. "Fuck..." he groaned again.

Once he was sure the dangerous image was destroyed, or at least safely stored away for later enjoyment, he continued towards the kitchen.

When he was close, he saw the door was slightly open, and the sound of music reached his ear. He recognized the song as 'Gara Gara Go' by Big Bang. Along with the upbeat song, he could hear cheering from the twins.

Wondering what was happening; he crept closer and peeked through. His eyes widened.

Naruto was in the middle of the large kitchen, wearing his orange pyjama pants, but had discarded his shirt. It was lying innocently to the side.

The twins were sitting on the counters, Kamurou holding a small radio and Kao holding a video camera.

And Naruto, sweet, sexy, _shirtless _Naruto, was dancing.

He was dancing, and it was hot.

And Sasuke had the distinct feeling he was drooling, but he didn't care.

Naruto was grinning like an idiot, as usual. He moved easily, most likely practiced in this dance beforehand. He moved to the side, bent backwards and snapped up again, moved his body fluidly like a river. He was good.

And Sasuke was getting hotter just by watching.

But when Naruto pulled a very..._complicated _move, Sasuke snapped. He stepped into the room and sent a very pointed look to the twins, who had noticed him immediately.

Kamurou seemed confused, but Kao only grinned lecherously. The older twin placed the camera down, slid off the counter, and promptly picked his brother up. Kamurou dropped the radio onto the counter and stared helplessly as he was carried out of the kitchen.

As Kao walked past the raven, he smirked and whispered "Just hurry. Iruka-sensei will be down to check on him in twenty minutes," before he left, Kamurou sending a glum wave as they did.

Sasuke smirked and slid the door closed. Naruto hadn't even noticed the twin's departure. He was too busy dancing.

Sasuke walked up to the blonde slowly, letting his mind and body get into the song. When he was in rythm, he wrapped his arms around Naruto's waist and pulled him flush against his chest, still dancing to the song.

Naruto squeaked as he was held, but one look over his shoulder put him at ease. He grinned and turned around in Sasuke's arms, wrapping his own around Sasuke's shoulders. "Hey Teme." He greeted.

Sasuke smirked and moved his hips forward, grinding against Naruto briefly and earning a soft gasp. "Yo...dobe." he replied in a low voice.

Sasuke kept up the dance, continuously pressing closer to Naruto as they went along. Naruto returned the movements, and they were both panting halfway through.

They continued to dance, grinding their hips to the song and moving together until finally, the music came to an end.

As the silence engulfed them, they stared at each other, still panting and hazy eyed.

And then the sound of a battery going flat reached their ears, snapping them out of their trance. Naruto looked over to the counter and saw the video camera. "Eh?" he blinked, and his cheeks coloured. "D-Did we record that whole dance?" he murmured.

Sasuke also studied the camera. "...I think so."

Naruto turned to look at him, and his blue eyes widened as he saw the perverted smirk adorning Sasuke's face. He raised his hand and smacked the raven across the head.

"You pervert!"

Sasuke snickered, and started towards the camera, but before he could grab it, Naruto snatched it up and held it away. Sasuke raised an eyebrow and held his hand out.

"Give it."

"No way, teme!" Naruto growled. "I'm not letting you show this to anyone! In fact, I'm going to delete it right now." He said, opening the small thing.

"No!" Sasuke darted forwards, making a grab for the device. Naruto squeaked and jumped back, narrowly avoiding Sasuke's hand. When he saw the raven was going to try again, he spun around and ran out the kitchen, with Sasuke hot on his heels.

"Naruto! Give me the camera!"

"No way!"

Naruto ran as fast as he could, deciding that he would delete the video once he was safe from the clutches of the raven chasing him.

Sasuke was determined to get that camera. '_I need to make a copy of the video!_' he thought frantically. His inner pervert was cheering him on, with the cheerleader outfit and pom poms in full swing. He could hear its voice screaming '_Go Sasuke! Go Sasuke! Get the video! Get the video! Naked Naru! Naked Naru! Dancing, dancing babe!_'

Encouraged by his own perverseness, which he would later find rather disheartening and disturbing, he pushed himself to go faster, a hand stretching out to grab the feeling blonde.

Naruto heard Sasuke approach and felt adrenaline rush through him. With a half excited, half terrified cry, he bolted around the corner and fled down the hallway.

Sasuke skidded slightly at the turn, but regained his balance and shot after his boyfriend. "Naruto!" he called, trying to get the boy to stop, or at least slow down.

But Naruto could almost hear the pervert in Sasuke screaming cheers, and he only called back as he ran. "I'm going to delete it!"

Sasuke growled as he took the stairs two and three at a time, feeling happy for his long legs at that moment. He reached the top in time to see Naruto turn into another hallway, and with an even louder growl that he knew the blonde would hear, he resumed the chase.

Naruto heard Sasuke's growl, and once again the adrenaline was pumping. This was like some screwed up cat and mouse game, with him being the innocent mouse, and Sasuke being the overly perverted _tiger_. He decided that maybe he should try to delete the video while moving.

With fumbling fingers, he pried the small screen open. While he did so, he quickly turned into the nearest room, hoping it would at least give him a few minutes.

As he went inside, he finally saw the screen and stopped.

Sasuke had seen Naruto enter the room and smirked, knowing the blonde had nowhere else to run. He ran to the door and stepped in. "Got you." He sneered. But he stopped seeing Naruto staring blankly at the camera. "What's wrong?"

Naruot blinked and looked up at him. "The battery's dead. I can't delete it, and you can't copy it, unless you recharge it."

"It's rechargeable?"

"Yeah...it uses a cord to recharge." As Naruto said this, both of the boys looked around. They were in the Twin's bedroom, ironically. And there, sitting almost tauntingly on Kao's side table, was the charger cord for the camera in Naruto's hand.

For a moment, both boys stared at it, before glancing to each other.

Then they moved. Naruto tossed the camera on the bed, aiming to get the charger. After all, no charger, no camera, no camera, no pervy video, right?

But Sasuke had the same mindset, only for him the no pervy video part was a bad, bad thing. '_Get the fucking charger!_' his inner pervert screamed angrily.

The blonde was closer, but Sasuke's arms were longer than Naruto's, and he caught a hold of the blonde's wrist and yanked him back. While Naruto tried to regain his balance, Sasuke dived forwards, a triumphant smirk on his face as his hand neared the side table.

The smirk disappeared, however, when Naruto managed to catch the waistband of his jeans and pulled. Sasuke grunted has he was given a frontal wedgie, and slipped back a bit trying to get rid of the sting. Naruto swung around the bent over raven and grabbed the charger.

"Victory!" he screeched and made a mad dash for the door. But Sasuke was fast and jumped, issuing an uncharacteristic battle cry and crashed down onto the blonde's retreating back, causing them both to topple to the floor with a loud thud.

The charger flew out of Naruto's hand as he landed with an 'oof!'. Sasuke was pinning him down with his whole body.

Panting, Sasuke still managed to smirk triumphantly. "Hn. What were you saying, dobe?" he breathed.

Naruto squirmed beneath him, trying to get free and grab the charger, but Sasuke only pressed against him even more, trying to still his movements.

"Grr! Get off me teme!"

"No way, dobe."

"Asshole!"

"Moron."

"Jerk!"

"Usuratonkachi."

"...What does that even _mean_?" Naruto yelled, snapping his head back. Sasuke got hit right on the nose and groaned.

"It means," he grit out, "Useless idiot." He hissed as his nose throbbed. Naruto's head was hard!

Naruto huffed angrily, but all the running, struggling and arguing had left him tired, so he stayed still.

Sasuke was also tired, but there was that voice in his head. '_Get the charger! Get the camera! Get the video! Naruto, half naked and dancing with you!_'

And suddenly, it was as if something clicked, causing him to freeze. '_Naruto...half naked...shirtless...he ran out...without a shirt...he's..._' Sasuke slowly, very slowly so as not to startle the temporarily calmed blonde, moved his hands down Naruto's sides, and if he weren't an Uchiha, he would have squeaked happily at the feeling of smooth skin, his hands unhindered by a shirt. '_Naruto's half naked and he's underneath me!_'

He continued to stroke Naruto's sides, and he moved his head to place a feather light kiss on Naruto's shoulder.

Naruto stilled, feeling Sasuke's hands sliding up and down his sides as well as the soft kiss on his back, which was followed by another, and then another. He shivered under the light touches, and gave a small gasp when Sasuke's fingertips ran over a particularly ticklish spot.

Sasuke, hearing the sound and figuring the reason, smirked wickedly before brushing the spot again. This time, Naruto let out a garbled noise, and Sasuke had to hold back a laugh when the back of the blonde's neck turned red along with his face. Sasuke found it adorable, and leaned a bit closer to nudge against the blonde hair.

"Ticklish, are we?" he whispered, teasing the spot again. Naruto made more strangled noises as he wriggled, trying to get away from the torturous fingers, but with little success.

Eventually, Sasuke managed to get him giggling. Well, giggling mingled with a few death threats.

"T-Teme! Ahaha! S-Stop! Hehee!" Naruto squirmed even harder, and Sasuke chuckled as he was bumped about.

He sat up quickly, but only resumed his attack, tickling Naruto's sides even more fiercely. Naruto batted at his hands, his giggling escalating into full out laughter. He rolled over onto his back, trying gasping and laughing and trying to swat Sasuke's hands away, but the raven wasn't about to be deterred.

Sasuke felt himself glowing with happiness as he listened to Naruto laugh, and saw that perfect face scrunching up. He just couldn't believe how gorgeous the boy in front of him was, and the fact that said boy was his boyfriend only made him giddy with joy.

At one point, those tanned eyelids cracked open, and Sasuke was dazzled by the deep blue eyes sparkling with laughter. He felt his breath leave him and he could only stare in wonder into those two eyes, easily getting lost and having no desire to find a way out.

His hands had ceased their attack, and Naruto was regaining his breath. Naruto had noticed how Sasuke had frozen, and opened his eyes a bit wider to see the raven leaning over him, just staring at him with an almost amazed look on his face. Naruto blinked and raised a hand, waving it in front of Sasuke's face.

"Oi, Sasuke? You okay?" he asked.

Sasuke's expression changed. A soft, warm smile overtook his face and he gently took hold of the waving hand, brining the knuckles to his lips and placing gentle pecks on them.

Naruto's cheeks reddened slightly at the affectionate gesture, but his smile was brighter than the sun itself, sending radiating warmth through the raven.

Sasuke leant closer, until his nose was brushing against Naruto's. For a moment, they looked at each other. And then, Sasuke did something very out of character.

He rubbed his nose against Naruto's in an Eskimo kiss, smiling. Naruto blinked and laughed aloud, his cheeks even redder.

"That was such a sappy gesture!" he laughed. Sasuke only smirked and repeated the gesture, this time with a participating blonde.

After laughing at the ridiculous, yet endearing gestures of affection, Sasuke pressed his lips against Naruto's gently, savouring the kiss.

Naruto let his eyes drift close and he smiled into the kiss. He pulled his hand out of Sasuke's grip and placed it on the raven's cheek, stroking it with his thumb. Sasuke did the same for him, his thumb running over the scar like markings on his face.

They continued the gentle kisses for a while, until Sasuke swiped his tongue across Naruto's upperlip. When he was granted entrance, he delved inside.

The kiss grew more and more heated after that, until Sasuke's hands were roaming Naruto's torso again, and Naruto had buried his fingers in raven hair, pulling Sasuke closer and deepening the kiss.

"Mmnh..." he moaned slightly as Sasuke brushed a nipple, his back arching. Sasuke would have smirked, but he was too busy sucking on Naruto's tongue to bother.

His hips gained a life of their own, and soon he was moving against Naruto, just like back in the kitchen.

He knew that if he didn't stop soon, he would be hard, and so would Naruto, but... '_This feels so good...and the fact that it's Naruto just makes it all the better._'

He was ready to continue, and had just renewed his attack on Naruto's mouth when their came the sound of a throat being cleared off to the right. They broke apart, their heads snapping to the side.

Kamurou was standing there, his cheeks slightly red as he gave them a raised eyebrow look. Behind him, Kao looked furious.

"...Kamurou!" the older snapped, hitting his brother upside the head.

"Ouch! What the hell?"

"Why did you top them! It was just getting good!" Kao growled, planting a hand on his brother's head and pushing it down. Kamurou grunted at the heavy force, but managed to look at the two frozen boys on the floor.

"Iruka-sensei is looking for-ouch, Kao stop it!- he's looking for Naruto. You left your shirt-dammit Kao!- your shirt in the kitchen. Oh, and it's time for dinner." Kamurou said, before turning around and hitting his brother in the stomach. "And stop shoving me you pervert!"

Sasuke blinked slowly as the two brother's got into a mini fight. Naruto sighed beneath him and tapped his shoulder for him to move. "Come on teme, I need to get my shirt." He said.

Sasuke climbed back up and held out a hand, pulling Naruto up to his feet. The blonde sighed and stretched his back before placing a quick peck on Sasuke's cheek and walking back down the hall.

Sasuke watched him for a moment, before his attention once again focused on the small black charger cord sitting innocently on the floor. He bent down and grabbed it, before walking over to the two arguing brothers. His approach was enough to get them to stop, and they looked at him, Kao's hand still resting on Kamurou's head.

Sasuke held out the charger. "Your camera needs to be recharged. Also, the video of Naruto dancing..." he swallowed. "...Delete it."

"Eh? Why?" Kao asked, reaching out and taking the object.

"...Because Naruto wants it to be deleted."

The twins looked at him, before looking at each other. Then, Kao laughed and Kamurou ran a hand through his hair, a smile on his face.

Sasuke blinked. "What's so funny?"

"It's just..." Kamurou looked at the direction Naruto had left.

"You're a good boyfriend. And Naruto needs someone like you in his life. So, we're just happy you came along." Kao finished, grinning and slinging an arm over his brother's shoulders.

Sasuke smirked, but it wasn't so much smug as it was a hidden smile. "...Hn."

He turned and was about to follow his boyfriend when Kao's voice stopped him.

"So...you want me to make a copy of the video before we delete it?"

* * *

**Aah, my precious Twins. The All K Twins... The Crimson Twins...The Kamuzuki Twins! Okay, I'll stop now. ¬.¬''**

**Soo,...it got kinda fluffy at one point, didn't it? But I kind of wanted that...yeah...**

**Anyway, this was the SasuNaru Add-on.**

**There will also be a GaaNeji, KakaIru, ItaKisa, SasoDei and, due to the fact that it was voted for, a Crimson Twin add-on. (Yay for my O.C's!) But that one will come last, so yeah.**

**Anyway, hope you, the most awesome readers of my Rei-Senzai story, enjoyed this little addition. I'm currently working on the sequel, I'm on chapter...3? Or was it 4?...Can't remember, but anyway...yeah, I just want to get a little bit of a chapter headstart, but I'll begin posting soon. **

**Also, if there's anyone who's reading my other story, Online!, I'm so sorry for the wait! I promise to have the next chapter out soon! Swear it! It's just been hectic, but I'll do it for you guys! Cause I love ya all. -w-**

**Reviews would be so appreacited, since they really do motivate me and help let some of the plot bunnies escape! So please Review! Also, of you have any requests for themes on any of the next Add-ons, let me know in either a review or a PM! **

**... Da-nanana, nana, nana, Can't touch this! *does dance*  
**


	20. AddOn 2 KakaIru Addition!

**I'm sorry it's been so long since I updated ANYTHING, but there's some hectic stuff going on, and my mind isn't really focused on writing. I'm sorry, and I'll try my best to update the other stories that need it, but for now hopefully this'll calm you slightly. The next add on for the Rei-Senzai Inc. Tale. KakaIru Edition.**

**Enjoy!**

**(P.S- The steps here are of my own making, and there is no guarantee they actually work, I was just spweing them for the sake of the story, so if you are crazy and choose to try them...don't hate me if they fail epically...)**

**Warnings: minor swearing.  
**

* * *

Kakashi sighed, slumping into the couch he was seated on and staring mournfully at the empty cup of coffee sitting on the table beside him.

It was quite early in the morning only a day or two after they arrived at the orphanage, and so far this job hadn't been all that exciting but for one or two oddities that were resolved or explained.

To put it mildly, Kakashi was bored. He was starting to think that this would just turn out like a majority of his other jobs, where it turned out to be something stupid and false.

Of course, there were the times when they'd been faced with something real, however, during those times none of the other members had been called with. It had always been him, Itachi and Kisame, and Sasori and Deidara that had dealt with the real threats. The other members had been sent back before the final fight; hence they hadn't really been exposed to anything.

The only ones who had been exposed were Neji and Lee, but even then they hadn't dealt with anything dangerous.

Kiba had seen his fair share of animal spirits, but none of them had been violent.

Kakashi was snapped out of his memories of the time he'd been chased around the pet cemetery by the playful spirit of a puppy when someone sat down across from him and tossed something onto his lap.

Looking down he saw a notepad with a short list on it. Reading the first thing on the list made him quirk an eyebrow and he looked up questioningly at Jiraiya, who was grinning at him.

"Uh...Jiraiya-sama, what is this?" Kakashi asked slowly.

Jiraiya grinned even more. "This, my friend, is a list that shall be appearing in the newest Icha Icha book." He said.

Kakashi snapped up, grabbing the notepad and reading the list eagerly. "It is? I'm getting a preview!" he asked excitedly, all boredom gone.

Jiraiya chuckled and nodded. "I overheard that young worker of yours- I think Sasuke was his name? - talking to one of his friends about how much you enjoy my books. So I thought I'd give my loyal fan a little snippet." He explained, smiling.

Kakashi made two mental notes.

One: kick Sasuke for talking about him behind his back.

Two: hug Sasuke for talking about him behind his back.

"Thank you sir!" he said, reading the list with wide eyes.

Jiraiya laughed and stood again. "And who knows? Perhaps you might find those useful." He said, winking before leaving the room.

Kakashi studied the list carefully, noting the title.

"Five steps to get your true love." He mumbled.

His thoughts flashed to Iruka, and he smiled beneath his mask.

This might be interesting.

* * *

_Step 1: Firstly, you need to find your true love. If you already know who it is, then you need to track them down and 'coincidentally' run into them._

Kakashi searched the whole first floor for Iruka, but he hadn't found him, so he was now on the second floor, peeking into each room as he went.

He opened door number one and saw the three young boys of the orphanage sleeping. He quickly closed the door and carried on, not wanting to wake the little ones. The next produced the same result, with the three young girls. He noticed vaguely that little Chi Dori seemed to be missing, but didn't dwell on it. She probably just needed the bathroom or something.

He continued this way, with no luck. Eventually he opened one door, hoping he would find Iruka.

Instead he found himself looking into a pair of very deadly jade green eyes.

"O-oh good morning Gaara-kun!" he said cheerfully, not liking the murderous look he was receiving from the broody teen.

Gaara glared at him before walking over and closing the door shut with a snap.

Kakashi wiped his forehead in relief and continued.

He searched the entire second floor, and even the third, but he just couldn't find Iruka anywhere.

'_How am I supposed to conveniently run into him if I can't even find him?_' he mentally whined as he trudged dejectedly down the stairs.

'_I thought it'd be easy to do the first step! But I can't even run into him, how can I-_' Kakashi walked into someone, stumbling a bit before a hand shot out to grab his arm and stop his fall.

"Oh, I'm so sorry Kakashi-san!"

Kakashi blinked, looking into the concerned chocolate brown eyes of Iruka. He smiled.

"Hello, Iruka-san. Funny running into you here!" he joked. Iruka chuckled.

'_Thank you, Gods of Yaoi, for taking mercy upon my seme soul._' Kakashi silently prayed.

* * *

_Step 2: Once you've found them, you need to gain their interest and put formalities behind you._

Kakashi looked over Iruka, admiring him secretly. "Are you okay, Iruka-san? I didn't hurt you did I?" he asked.

Iruka smiled and shook his head. "Not at all."

Kakashi sighed, relieved, his eye closing with a happy smile. "I'm glad." He opened his eye and saw Iruka making to walk away and panicked quickly. "Ah, where are you off to?" he asked hurriedly.

Iruka looked at him. "I was just on my way to the kitchen to make some coffee for everyone. I assume you want some, Kakashi-san?"

Kakashi nodded before waving his hand. "Please, Iruka-san, the formalities aren't necessary. Just call me Kakashi." He said.

Iruka gave a small smile. "If you insist, Kakashi." He said as he started walking down the hallway.

Kakashi followed. "Oh, I do insist, Iruka." He said cheerfully.

Iruka glanced at him. "I don't believe I said you could drop the formalities when it came to addressing me." He said blankly.

Kakashi stumbled a bit, his mouth gaping in surprise and, due to this; he missed the amused smile adorning Iruka's face, or the laughing glint in his brown eyes as he walked into the kitchen to prepare the coffee.

* * *

_Step 3: You need to keep your partner amused so as to keep their attention. Jokes and interesting topics and stories are a good way to do this. However, don't make them all about you!_

"-and then I simply climbed up the drainpipe, grabbed the small little fuzz ball and brought it back down to the crying little girl." Kakashi finished proudly. Iruka laughed good naturedly and patted his shoulder from where he stood next to the still boiling kettle.

"You're such a good story teller, Kakashi. I _almost_ believed all of that!" he said smiling.

Kakashi slumped slightly. "But...it was actually one of my few _true_ stories." He mumbled too low for Iruka to hear him. There was a click as the kettle boiled and Iruka reached over for it.

Kakashi leant back, thinking of what else to say. He'd already told quite a few jokes, and Iruka had taken them all in stride, even the perverted ones.

He took a moment to examine the brunette before him, admiring the tan skin and the scar across his nose. He wondered how he got it and before he could reign in his tact and curiosity he asked.

"Iruka-san, how did you get that scar?" he asked.

Iruka paused slightly in his coffee-making before continuing so smoothly one wouldn't have seen it.

Unless, of course, that one person was Kakashi. He immediately rambled into an apology.

"That is, only if you wish to tell me! It's not my business so if you feel uncomfortable about it I fully understand-"

"It happened when my parents died." Iruka said swiftly, and with a note of finality. Kakashi snapped his mouth shut, knowing that was all the answer he would get and it would be overstepping his boundaries to inquire any further.

Mentally, he was still kicking himself for asking the question in the first place.

"How many sugars would you prefer in your coffee, Kakashi?" Iruka asked kindly, all hints of seriousness and unease gone. Kakashi swallowed and smiled.

"Just one is enough, thanks." He said.

* * *

_Step 4: Now's the time to start the romance. Flirting and small gestures of affection are what you should try, but remember to respect them._

Iruka finished making the coffee, which totalled to eight cups including Kakashi's. He handed the silver-haired man his cup with a warm smile.

"Here we go, Kakashi."

Kakashi grinned and reached up. He made sure to take the cup in a way that his fingers would brush Iruka's, and let them linger for a moment. "Thank you, Iruka-san." He said softly.

It took all of Kakashi's inner strength not to giggle excitedly at the tiny blush that crossed Iruka's cheeks at the contact, but somehow he managed to contain himself.

Iruka cleared his throat and turned back to the load of cups before him. "Hmm...How to do this..." he murmured to himself. He walked over to a nearby cupboard to find a tray. Upon opening it, however, he let out a frustrated sigh. All the trays were mutilated, cracked or completely broken in half.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "What on earth have those trays been used for?" he asked, half teasing and half curious.

Iruka looked over his shoulder while indicating the broken trays. "This happened when Gai was trying to teach the kids some basic karate moves. Instead of wooden boards, he ended up using these. Let's just say that Naruto, the Sabaku siblings and the twins, along with Sai are a lot stronger than you'd think. Especially Gaara." He then pointed to the cracked trays. "The same with these, only with the younger children. Konohamaru caused quite a bit of damage to his." Finally, he pointed to the disfigured trays and a strange look took over his face. It was a mix between amused and annoyed. Kakashi scooted closer.

"What about those ones?" he prompted. Iruka sighed.

"Those were the result of a prank Naruto pulled on the twins." He said. Kakashi chuckled.

"What was the prank, if I may ask?" he inquired, moving his mask down and taking a sip of his coffee. It tasted like heaven in a cup to him.

"During the early morning, Naruto snuck into the twin's room and somehow managed to superglue Kamurou to his bed." Kakashi snorted into his coffee and quickly set it down.

"He super glued him to the bed?" he confirmed. Iruka nodded, smiling.

"Needless to say, Kao was not pleased to find his brother stuck to his bed and close to tears from struggling. He chased Naruto through the entire mansion and at one point they got into a fight. Kao grabbed a tray while Naruto did the same, and they started beating each other with them. It took Jiraiya, Asuma, myself and Gai to separate them." Iruka sighed at the memory.

There had been quite a bit of bruises and cuts to tend to that night. Not to mention Kao's odd habit of biting. How he'd managed to bite Naruto's ankle was still a mystery to them.

"So that's why there seems to be a face shaped indentation." Kakashi mused, running a finger over one of the trays. Iruka chuckled.

"That was Naruto's doing. He managed to score a good hit."

"You almost sound proud." Kakashi said teasingly, turning to the now stammering brunette.

"I-I'm not! I mean, it was a good hit, but he could've seriously hurt him..." Iruka paused when Kakashi began to laugh.

Kakashi finished his laughter by placing a hand on Iruka's shoulder and smiling at him, his eyes twinkling.

"I'm just kidding, Iruka." He said sweetly. Iruka smiled, his cheeks a little coloured.

"You're so mean, Kakashi." He said playfully. He turned his attention back to the cups and sighed. "How should I carry these to everyone?" he wondered aloud.

Kakashi thought for a moment. "Hmm...What we really need is-"

"Morning." Ino yawned as she walked into the room, Sakura right behind her rubbing sleep from her eyes. Kakashi spun around to greet them.

"Good morning! I have a job for you two!" he said cheerily.

The girls flinched, unconsciously scooting closer together in fear of what their deranged-according to them- boss had planned.

Kakashi motioned the cups of coffee. "Please take these to their rightful recipients for me." He said.

The girls sighed and nodded, waiting for Iruka to explain whose was whose before leaving the kitchen, arms filled with the mugs which they carried carefully.

Iruka beamed at Kakashi. "Thank you, but was that okay? They're young girls after all..." he trailed off.

Kakashi waved his hand dismissively. "It's their job, no need to fret. Besides, those two are a lot stronger than most would think. When Sakura's in a mood, she's able to tear a phone book in half." Kakashi said.

Iruka laughed happily. "That's a funny image. Nice exaggeration." He said.

Kakashi looked him straight in the eye. "The scary thing is, I'm not exaggerating." He deadpanned.

Iruka gulped, looking at the doorway. "...It must be terrifying during 'that' time of the month." He said softly.

Kakashi sighed. "Oh, you have no idea."

* * *

_Step 5: There's only one more step I can suggest for you and that is the first big step in any relationship. Tell your true love exactly what you feel, and hope they return the feeling. Good luck!_

Kakashi read the step over and over from where he was sitting on the couch, one hand holding the notepad and the other hand holding his heavenly coffee. Iruka had left a minute ago due to hearing what sounded like a fight breaking out upstairs. They'd only heard someone shout 'asswipe' before the sound of someone getting socked in the face several times became audible.

Kakashi sighed and leant back after placing his mug of coffee down. He wasn't quite sure how to go about that last step. In all truth, he wasn't sure what he felt for Iruka. Attraction, sure there was no doubt it was there. Lust, hell yeah. Like, indeed. No one couldn't like Iruka; he was just too like-able!

But love?

Kakashi wasn't sure. He knew that he felt Iruka was special, but to call the feeling actual love? He'd never actually been in love, so he wasn't sure. And it's not like there were any guide books on what exactly love felt like, so even with all his reading he couldn't identify it.

He was still deep in thought when Iruka came back into the room, looking very agitated and holding a medi-pack. The brunette sat down on the nearest armchair and sighed. Kakashi gave him a once over, pleased to see he hadn't gained any scratches while stopping the scuffle upstairs.

"Is everything alright?" he asked, tilting his head. Iruka nodded slowly, reached up to massage his shoulder.

"Yes. It was Sora and Kao again. Those two fight constantly over everything." He said, grimacing when he found a knot in his muscles.

Kakashi stood up and made his way over, standing behind Iruka and gently moving his hand away to replace it with his own. He began to massage the poor caretaker, who let out an approving groan and closed his eyes. Kakashi smirked beneath his mask, already planning to get as many...interesting noises... as he possibly could.

"Iruka-san, why did you become a caretaker, if I may ask?" He asked as he pushed against a particularly tense muscle. Iruka groaned a bit but found his voice.

"I've always enjoyed working with children, and since I was an orphan, I knew how hard it could be sometimes. I wanted to make a difference if I could." He said slowly.

Kakashi hummed in understanding, leaning against the back of the armchair and letting his fingers slide a little bit up Iruka's neck. The brunette leaned into the touch, whether consciously or not didn't matter to Kakashi.

"Kakashi...what made you want to get into the paranormal business?" Iruka asked suddenly, and Kakashi's hands stilled. He stared down at the head before him, eyes blank as he recalled past events.

Iruka, feeling the odd air around him, cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, it's none of my business." He amended, his face a bit red.

The hands on his shoulders continued suddenly, and Kakashi spoke, his voice light and cheerful, but tinged with slight sadness.

"A friend of mine got me into it. It was his dream to be in the business..." he trailed off, not able to voice the rest, but Iruka understood that silence.

"I'm so sorry." He murmured.

Kakashi chuckled. "It's not a problem. It's in the past now."

Iruka nodded slowly before sighing in happiness when Kakashi found a rather sensitive spot on his shoulder. The silver head smiled down, continuing to rub the area with his thumb since it seemed to make Iruka melt in his hands.

He quite liked that.

'_You should tell him now...You don't know what you feel, but it's definitely positive...tell him something. He deserves to know._' His mind said, almost nudging him. He sighed in his head and steeled himself.

"Iruka-san...I-"

There was a loud screech from upstairs, making both men snap their heads up in surprise before voices could be heard from the floor above.

"What the fuck did you call my brother?"

"You heard me you prick!"

"Kao, let go of Sora's neck right now!"

"Tsunade-sama!"

"Shizune, help me separate these two!"

"I'm going to rip your lungs out through your ass, you ash-headed pole-dancing-mangy-good-for-shit-cheese-dick!"

"Kao, watch your language!"

"Oh yeah? Bring it on you cherry-haired ass-kissing-incest-poster-child homo!"

"Sora!"

Iruka shot up, almost making Kakashi topple over form the speed before he sped out of the room and up the stairs. "You two stop it right now!" Kakashi heard him yell before the sounds of the fight only increased.

Kakashi sighed, looking at the small note-pad in his hand. He closed his eye and put the small thing in his pocket.

'_Guess now's not the right time._' He thought resignedly.

* * *

**Ehehehe...reviews?**


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